Best Laid Plans
by TekniCAL
Summary: Prince Niall, GGdad to telepath Sookie hires a Vampire to bring her under protection against a threat from his many enemies. He has big plans involving everyone and anyone in the Supe community. A retelling of sorts from all bks. Mostly Canon, slightly AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm sorry that this is not my sequel to Steel Horse, if you came looking for that. I will be getting that out soon though.**

**This is a new, multi-chapter AU story, taking place about a month or so before the vampires coming out. It's my attempt to explore the intentions of Niall and his involvement with the synthetic blood creation that prompted the vamps outing. His character has been bugging me since he was introduced. **

**Disclaimer:** I draw my inspiration from just about every media type (books, tv, music lyrics etc.), so if you recognize anything, it does not belong to me. All characters belong to Charlaine Harris. All mistakes are my own. And that damned obsession, I can't seem to shake…

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"Do not be alarmed, Dear One. You have been summoned here for a reason."

"Summoned?" She stated, feeling like a caged animal. "Try kidnapped!"

"You weren't saying that a minute ago, when I had my head between your…" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, because she was smacking him with her oversized handbag.

_What is it with women these days? Why do they feel they have to carry luggage around with them?_ He muses to himself, willingly taking the beating. It was quite a turn on.

"Don't you dare dirty talk me now…you, you…PERVERT!" She reels with outrage.

"I can't believe I fell for your stupid act!"she says more to herself than anyone. She is trying to catch her breath, looking up at the ceiling of the limo as it speeds along the two-lane, state highway.

He loves her feistiness. It's so refreshing. _Wait-- LOVE?_ Is that an emotion he's feeling?

_Like an angry kitten._ She has no idea that her captor could crush her larynx with some simple pressure of his large hand.

"I'm hardly kidnapping you. You more than agreed to come with me tonight," The man's voice was eerily serene. "Besides, if I wanted to harm you, you would be dead and rotting in your home right now." He let the words hang for a moment. "My intentions are purely noble, I assure you. I would simply like to offer you an invitation."

"An invitation? To what…be your freakin' sex slave or somethin'? What kind of bullshit is this?! You better let me out of this car, right this instant or so help me…" she threatens, throwing him a cold hard stare and crossing her arms over her chest. It pushes her voluptuous breasts into view even more than the already low cut dress she is wearing, does. The sight of them makes him extremely hard.

"Just calm down," he says leaning in very close to her mouth. He wants to kiss her again like he was a minute ago, but he is afraid he won't be able to restrain his natural instincts.

His closeness takes her breath away. Despite what has just learned in the last few minutes, she cannot seem to resist his obvious sex appeal. It's like he is a magnet drawing her closer.

He is trying very hard to maintain control, but she is making things extremely difficult. Between her sweet, sweet scent, her soft, curvy body, and her heightened emotions, her draw is nearly unbearable. He is using all his years of experience to focus on the task at hand.

"Look, I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I want you to bring me back home—"

"I cannot do that," the man interrupts her. "Your house is unsafe and so is your place of employment. We have a very small window of opportunity." He is rubbing his hands up and down either of her arms, as if he is trying to warm her up. The act is unsettlingly soothing to her and she closes her eyes to absorb the feeling fully.

She draws in a sharp breath. "What do you mean?" _This can't be happening. What's happening at my house and at Merlotte's?_

She opens her eyes to look at him. The way he looks at her in return stops her thoughts and breathing cold. It is a look of lust, longing and something else.

"At this point you are my guest. I have things to offer and discuss with you. And well, I can be a pretty persuasive host."

_No thanks nut-job! Why do I always seem to attract the weirdoes?_ She thinks to herself. _I guess looks and charm are just part of the whole weirdo package…easier to catch his prey._

She has _no_ idea.

She moves to take her cell phone from her purse. She would simply call Sam. He would know what in the world is going on. And maybe be able to help her!

But before she can even press a button, a large hand hovers over hers and simply snatches the phone from her, launching it out the window of the speeding car, with inhuman speed.

Now she is really unnerved. "Are you going to kill me if I don't cooperate?"

"Not exactly, no."

"Not exactly?!" she yells, her voice shaking in panic and fear. "Death is usually an all-or-nothing thing!"

"You surprise me, Dear One. You are feistier than I expected. How exciting!" he looks at her with hunger in his eyes and glides the back of his hand across her cheek.

She slaps his hand away. "What do you want from me? Just come out with it already!" in for a penny, in for a pound.

"It's simple. You are in danger. And tonight, I have the opportunity to be of assistance to you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. And how would you know about me being in danger?"

"No idea? You pretend not to understand what I am and why I would be so interested in you. But we both know you are more than human. What secret do you hold?" he asks, searching her eyes for answers.

She just looks at him with her mouth hanging open – He believes the expression is, ah, catching flies?

He is surprised by her lack of awareness. Yet surely the girl is not completely human. Her scent alone is pure intoxication. And he has already been witness to at least one of her abilities, without her even being aware she revealed it.

She feels a sudden sinking sensation, not really getting what this was about. But catching that he said 'what' he was. She knew she was in way over her head and was not dealing with just some weirdo, date-rape, serial killer guy.

Sensing her anxiety, he leans into her a little and flashes a fangy smile. "I am vampire. "

_Vampire?_

"And tonight, Dear One, you have been given a gift. You should be thankful I found you and not some of the others."

_And you have lost your mind._ "I'm sorry, but what _gift_?" she asks. "The gift of annoyance? Of being kidnapped? Why do you seem to speak in riddles?! I don't know anything about _real_ vampires or why I would be in need of protection other than _FROM_ you."

"You have been given a chance to live. That is certainly a gift! And of course you get to spend quality time with me!" he laughs. "Well, at least until the danger has past or I guess whenever someone comes to collect you."

"What?" her voice barely a whisper. This was getting crazier by the second.

"I was approached by someone very powerful in the supernatural community. I was told where to find you and they confessed to me that only I could be trusted. The only being on earth capable of protecting you, is _me_." He slides a little closer to her in the seat, pressing his massive shoulder against her.

"You are either crazy or lying for some reason. I know nothing of supernatural beings!! That's all fairytales and legends and shows on HBO!"

"I think not. I have known this person for several centuries and they are not one to lie and of course neither am I. You need me," he said, smiling, obviously pleased with himself.

She felt a sudden stab of anger. "Need you, how?! You've kidnapped me! Of all the things I'm in need of, _that_ is not one of them. I'm warning you, if you try and hurt me in any way, there are people out there who will find you and –"

"It's far too late for that," the man said in an amused tone. "I already have you and yet know one seems to have noticed. I suggest you take some time for the rest of this ride and think about what I've told you. Time is of the essence…for both of us. I was not the only one privy to your whereabouts. There are others looking for you. And trust in me, if they find you they will not be as kind as me."

"I'm not even sure what you are asking of me. You tell me that someone in the supernatural community has asked you to watch over me. And, that you were selected because you are somehow specially equipment to protect me. From what or who might I ask? You're a vampire for cryin' out loud!! That doesn't scream _safe_ to me!" _This makes no sense!_

"I simply ask for your trust for now." He leans his head back against the soft leather seats and sighs, a very human thing for him to do.

How could she have been so dumb to accept such an invitation from a stranger without checking things out first? He was just so handsome and intriguing. Even now she feels drawn to him. She just wants to wrap herself around him and stay there forever. _He does scream safe for some odd reason._

"I could help you relax--" he purrs. "We could finish up what we started, before we were so rudely interrupted," he suggests, licking his lips and settling his hand on her upper thigh. She has on a very silky, olive green dress that falls just above her knee when standing. The sweetheart neckline is encrusted with rhinestones of varying shapes and sizes, while also showing off her ample cleavage. However, he would be more than happy to have that very dress wrinkled and laying in a heap on the floor, than on her glorious frame. _Patience_, he reminds himself.

She grabs his hand and removes it from her leg. "I for one am glad for the interruption or I would have done something I would truly regret. Now you better start treatin' me like the lady I am and stop tryin' to sex me up," she scolds him. "Where are you taking me anyway? It's obvious your little ploy of this being a date has been blown to hell…"

"Why to dinner of course!" the man responds laughing as if he had just told an amusing joke.

"I'm not very hungry."

"Oh, but _I _am, Dear One!" he leans in towards her with an unmistakable look of want in his eyes, fangs peeking out from under his top lip. He takes a deep breathe, inhaling her intoxicating scent.

She is repulsed and turned on all at the same time. She scoots as far away from him in the seat as possible and stares out the window trying to hold back the building tears. Her hands fly to her aching temples, which are suffering from the stress of all this. Focusing on the smooth ride of the vehicle to keep some semblance of calm, she closes her eyes, thinking back to how she arrived in this predicament.

It was two nights ago, in the bar she worked in, that she first encountered this stranger. He appeared at a free table in her section. So handsome, exceptionally tall (even seated) and too young for being as impeccably dressed as he was, in his dark suit and tie of designer origins. His thick blond hair was immaculately coiffed in an intricate braid and tied with some type of cord. This man seemed to project the sophistication and polish of someone much older. Overdressed and overwhelming in presence, he commanded the attention of everyone in the place, including the other servers.

"Oh, you are so lucky girl!" Holly said. "If you can't handle him alone, I will be more than happy to help ya!" Arlene, smacked, in between snaps of bubblegum. But Sookie ignored both of them and marched right over to his table, smiling with false confidence. Men in general intimidated her. This one was just too out of her league.

"Hi there, I'm Sookie. What can I get y'all this evening?" Why did she tell him her name…she never does that? Not just for the obvious reason that everyone already knew her name, but because it's a little too personal when you're slinging beers to a perfect stranger.

The man smiled a brilliant wide smile that showed all his perfectly straight, white teeth. _Definitely not from around here_, she thought. "What do you recommend?" he asked in a breathy whisper. He seemed to be focusing a little too long on what she thought was her neck and that just seemed to make her pulse quicken even more than it already was. _At least it's not my chest he's lookin' at, like most guys._

"We have a variety of beers on tap, a full bar and a wine or two. Most of the locals just drink beer." His eyes were a heavenly blue and something about the glow of his pale skin gave him an ethereal appearance. She felt drawn to him, as if she couldn't leave his side now that he was here. His presence was oddly silent and calming.

Clearing his throat and quickly glancing around the bar he said, "Why don't you bring me whatever beer everyone else is enjoying." He licked his lips, as if he had just finished dinner and was looking forward to dessert. She had the sudden urge to lick his lips too! _What has gotten into her?_

"Sure. Be right back with that." She quickly spun on her heels and high-tailed it to the bar because she was so frazzled by the energy this man exuded. She needed to think!

He didn't drink his beer or order anything to eat, but she could feel his eyes on her the rest of the evening, while she moved throughout the bar, serving the rest of her tables. That excited her.

When he was ready with for his check, he flirted with her a little and asked her if she was involved with anyone. He inquired about her joining him for dinner on her next night off. She was overcome with joy. The thrill of such a man wanting to go out with her made her feel like she was flying. She gave him her phone number and made plans to go out the night after next. She couldn't wait to gush about her date with Arlene during closing!

The day of their planned date she called her friend Tara, who owned a clothing boutique in town. Being from a small town and not having many dating opportunities, Sookie didn't have much in fancy dinner date wear. She figured either Tara's store did or maybe she could just borrow something from her personal closet full of clothes.

Oddly enough when she got there, Tara had a spectacular dress set aside for her. Matching shoes and underthings too! Tara couldn't explain why she thought of Sookie when she saw this ensemble, but to Sookie's delight, everything fit perfectly and was within her budget. Tara almost seemed surprised when she rang everything up and gave Sookie the total. Tara was sure it should have been much more (and perhaps it should have…).

Sookie completed her outfit by going to a nearby store for some nice costume jewelry.

Right on time, her knight in shining armor had showed up in a designer suit, at her door step with some kind of exotic flower that looked curiously enough like lady parts and full of compliments. "You look breathtaking," he had whispered in her ear, his cool lips and breath just barely brushing the fine line of hairs around her ear. It had given her chills…the good kind…straight to her center.

He had kissed her gently under her earlobe, by her jaw-line, lingering a little longer than was appropriate for a first date greeting, but she hadn't minded in the least.

Then when he led her to the stretch limo waiting in her front yard, she was awestruck. She thought sure this was some kind of fairy-tale come true. Like Cinderella going to the ball. They sat so close in the car…his unique masculine scent sending her hormones into overdrive. Her palms were sweaty due to her nerves. She wanted to turn and shove her tongue down his throat, but that would have had her Gran turning in her grave. _Manners first_, she thought, as a good southern lady ought.

_Oh to hell with manners!_ Before they left Bon Temps Proper, he was on her, seemingly trying to suck her tongue down his throat. It was glorious! And that gloriousness had led to other exciting things…things that were making her wet again just thinking about it.

She was snapped back to the present, by a cool finger, ghosting a scorching line down her arm, leaving goose flesh in its wake.

Where had this all got her? Stuck in a limo with one deranged, but exceptionally handsome man, who claims to be a vampire and for all she knows wants to kill her. All because he alleges some super secret 'person' is concerned with her safety? Maybe she just fell asleep before the real date and this is a Disney Princess dream gone bizarre.

Just as she had that last thought, the limo came to a stop and the door beside the man opened. He gracefully slid out but bend back down, peering in with that lovely wide smile, holding his hand out for her to take. Should she take it and pretend like nothing is going on or should she try to open the other side of the car and make a run for it?

Before she could make that decision, the man grabs her by the arm, "Tsk. Tsk. Do not try to run. Running just heightens my predatory instincts. I wouldn't want to accidentally hurt you before we even have a chance to discuss your situation." To accentuate his threat, she saw his fangs again, this time appearing to descend lower than they were before.

_Note to self: don't piss off the vampire._ She feels the warmth of her body drain away and her mouth become suddenly parched. She involuntary shivers as she tentatively reaches her left hand out to him.

And with that she was out of the car and gazing up at a large high-rise building that was obviously not residential. They were in the middle of downtown Shreveport, facing the river. Not a restaurant in sight.

A guard of some kind, with the same glowing skin tone as her date and no discernable neck, was standing at the front door of the building. Even though he was dressed in all black attire, complete with suit, shirt, tie, shoes and even sunglasses (at night?), he looked like he belonged in the American football league and not here. As they approached, he popped open the entrance for them as if they were some visiting head of state.

The door itself wasn't unusual, just the customary mirrored, tinted glass kind. The handles on the door however, were not standard issue. They were made of wood or possibly ivory, with an ornate design carved into them. She couldn't tell exactly what the carving stood for because she was being ushered through the entryway by a very large, cold hand pressed to her lower back.

"You are so pushy!" she snaps, stealing a glance over her left shoulder, at her captor. He just smirks at her as they make their way over to a bank of elevators, where there is another carbon copy set of liner-backers, standing at attention. It was hard to tell if they looked at her at all, but she noticed her companion nod to them almost imperceptibly. _Must be some secret vampire nod._

Into the empty elevator car they went. The man stood closely behind her, with his hands wrapped around either of her arms—as if she had somewhere to run!

The interior was typical…Terrible music being piped in from somewhere, plush brindled carpet with splashes of red and lacquered walls with a similar splash of red. _Reminds me of blood spatters_, she thinks with a shudder.

The doors were a brushed bronze so you didn't have to stare at your reflection, or the reflection of the other occupants. _That was a plus._ The panel where the buttons usually are only contained what looked like a couple of LCD screens. She figured out that one was a thumb print scanner when the man reached around her and placed his digit on it. The other was a card reader. Pulling a coordinating card from his right suit jacket pocket, the man placed it against the screen and had it back in said pocket before she could even blink. _Wow._

The elevator lifted off in a flash and seemed to be flying straight to the moon, it was accelerating so fast. She felt a growing apprehension as they made their way up to whatever awaited her. _Torture chambers are usually in basements, right?_

When it stopped the doors opened into a beautifully appointed foyer. Classical music played softly in the background and it smelled as if incense was burning. "This is lovely," she said, a little stunned by her surroundings. "Although I expected more of an office space, being that this is an office building and all. Not to mention anything of the fact that you've abducted me!" her tempering flaring.

The man just smiled and led her forward, "Thank you. You are the first human I've had on this floor. It's good to know you approve." He let go of her long enough to walk to her side. This time he hooked one arm through hers and waved his other hand in front of him to imply they should move along into the adjoining space.

She shivered at the thought of being the only 'human' here. Her woman's intuition was telling her that this place was not safe. "Where are we?"

"This is one of the many properties I own. I hold most of my business meetings, on several of the floors below, while I use this space to come and relax. No one is allowed up here, including my guards, now that you are here."

They entered a huge loft space. Banks of tinted windows lined the far side of the space. They seemed to go on forever. You could see the river, most of Shreveport and parts of Bossier City from up here. _I wonder if this is the top floor._

Where cubicles should be, there were areas broken up into separate functional spaces. There was a kitchen area off to the left, complete with hanging pots and eat-in bar area. Flowing from that space was a formal dining area furnished with a huge round mahogany table that easily sat 12 or more people. _Huh, wonder what he does with all of that?_

He guided her into a family room of sorts with a couple of walls that didn't quite reach up to the ceiling but gave the perception of defined living space. Those two walls were adorned with several antique looking pieces including a large oil painting, several types of swords and other hand to hand combat weapons. The sight made her skin crawl. _How many of them have been used to kill?_

Set slightly inside of one the false walls rested an electric fireplace. It gave the illusion of cozy comfort and cast a soft warm glow across the area. Strategically arranged around the fireplace were two overstuffed, chocolate colored leather sofas and matching Winchester reclining chairs. The hardwood floor covering the entire suite was covered here, by two extra-large Persian rugs.

Off to the far right of the suite was a bedroom area, complete with gigantic bed and clothing storage. There was a door on the wall that must have led to a bathroom. Seeing the bed made her suspicions of this man's intentions, heightened.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. I had some wine set out for you. I'll bring it over and we can talk." He let go of her arm and strode towards the kitchen with an air of confidence and excitement.

She did not want to sit. Not until she knew what she was doing here and what exactly this lunatic wanted to talk to her about.

She stood by the fireplace, studying the oil painting depicting a corpse set on fire in the center of a large, elaborately carved boat. The boat was being pushed out to sea by several men wearing metal helmets with horns. They bore a striking resemblance to her vampire captor. The scene was spectacularly rendered in vivid colors. _Were they Vikings?_

"That's the original Sir Thomas Francis Dicksee oil. It's called 'Funeral of a Viking'." The man appeared without warning beside her, holding a glass of red wine for her and a glass of some kind of darker red liquid for himself. "I thought we'd sit by the fire?" He led her over to the couch and offered her a seat. "There is no reason to be nervous," he said looking deep into her eyes. She felt as if he were willing that to be true by his intense gaze.

"It's hard not be when I've been brought here under false pretenses. When I've been told of extraordinarily impossible things…that I have some person I don't even know, hiring out protection for me by a…a vampire!" she rants, releasing some of the stress that has been building inside her, since she began this journey earlier this evening.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Actually, you did agree to come with me this evening. If it wasn't for my honesty in the car, and an overheard phone call, you would still be under the assumption that this was just a date."

Damn him and his logic. She did agree to meet him after all and even willingly got in the car with him, looking forward to what was in store for them. She found herself still utterly attracted to him, just watching him move about. How could she be so _foolish_? How could she be so _conflicted_?

He sat down in one of the chairs, leaning back in a leisurely way, crossing his right ankle onto his left leg and began swirling the thick red liquid in his glass. His smile was disarming. "Shall we start over? Perhaps take a drink?"

His eyes narrow in focus on the amber glow of the fireplace. Then he glances back to Sookie, arching an eyebrow and taking a sip of the thick red substance.

He closes his eyes and begins, "My name is Eric. I'm known by the last name Northman these days, but of course that changes with time. As I've explained to you, I am vampire. And now you are my honored _guest._"

"OK. So what _exactly_ does that mean Eric Northman? What are your expectations for guests? I assume vampires don't frequently have _guests_ of the human kind, especially if I am the first 'up here', as you claimed before."

Eric levels a cold stare at her, "You and I are alone…for as long as this takes. You cannot leave and go back to your home or work until it is deemed safe. Therefore you will be staying here as my guest. No further expectations," but he quirked a quick smile before pulling his cool demeanor back in place.

A little more than peeved at his high-handedness, she gulps down her drink. _Some liquid courage._

"I don't believe you. I demand you take me home right this instance or I'll start screaming," she declares.

"Go ahead. No one will hear you anyway and the ones who can could care less. They are kind of used to that around here anyway," Eric chuckles. "Besides, I'll explain if you let me."

She takes a deep breath, another gulp of wine and nods for him to continue.

"From what I've been told, you are of great value to someone very powerful. And because of his power, he has many enemies…enemies who would stop at nothing to hurt him or gain leverage over him. You are apparently at great risk from these enemies. Some who were looking for you this very night. He asked me to retrieve you and keep you safe for as long as is necessary. And so here you are, my guest for the time being and what a delightful creature you are," he teases.

"You can't possibly be serious!" She panics. She can't stay here with him! She won't! Sookie hops up from her seat and makes a run for the elevators.

He catches her in a flash and pins her up against the wall by the door. He places his massive hands on either side of her head, effectively trapping her and forcing her to look at him.

"I told you running heightens my predatory reflexes," he says, grinding his hard-on into her stomach.

"Besides, I'm deadly serious. I made it very clear to you that the stakes tonight were high and now you've chosen not to cooperate. What a very naughty girl." He covers her mouth in a searing kiss, with fangs fully extended. They scrape her lip, causing just a slight tinge of blood to flow, driving him insane with thirst.

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**A/N:** Oh no! Naughty Sookie! So, do you think Eric has the will power to stop? Do you want him to? Press the little green button and give me some feedback! Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: My deepest gratitude for everyone who has taken interest into the latest foray of my crazy mind. I can only hope to keep your interest throughout this tale. Remember, feedback is not only welcomed, but encouraged.

**Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, its _not_**** mine. Characters belong to Charlaine Harris. Sadly, the only thing I own are All the mistakes you may find.**

**Warning: There is some strong adult language in the beginning here that may be more NC-17, than just teen. If you are not old enough to swear in front of your parents, then don't read.**

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**Two Weeks Prior**

"Five more minutes Master," the guard warns Eric.

_I cannot wait until we come out of hiding. I'm so sick of glamouring the shit out of these whores_, Eric thinks as he finishes with his latest suck and fuck.

The woman is a little too skinny for his liking, her blood tastes like the smell of week old fryer grease and her pussy feels like the slime that sticks to the rocks along the sea. And that makes him think of _Rime of the Ancient Mariner ("The very deep did rot: O Christ!/That ever this should be!/Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs/Upon the slimy sea" – Pt 2). _ This in turn reminds him of his youth and that brings a smile to his face and relief to his hard-on.

He reaches for a hand towel from the stack he keeps in this room, just for these occasions and wipes himself off. He wishes he had time for a shower, but there are creatures waiting on him. He tosses the towel at the woman, who is still spread out across the futon. It hits her in the face and she squawks. _Must have been the wet side_, he snickers.

"Ginger, look at me: You will stop eating fast food and come by next week, same time. You were amazing and of course, so was I!" _One more hole in her glamoured head_.

And with that, Eric briskly turns, while tucking himself back into his pants and leaves her to clean herself up. Either one of his guards will help himself to her next or she'll be escorted out. Doesn't matter to him which happens first, she has served her purpose.

With the ding of the elevator signaling its arrival, Eric sails up to the 12th floor. This level is for the supernatural beings he must meet with regularly.

He is a sheriff-- a vampire sheriff, in charge of an area of Louisiana. Area five to precise. And he rules this little slice of the kingdom with a firm hand. He is ruthless when he needs to be, but also fair and kind, if you are lucky enough to warrant it.

_Christ, I'm in for a long night._ He immediately notices the line. It stretches from the elevator bank all the way down the hall, about 40 feet, to where he has a special conference room setup.

The room is equipped with an assortment of hidden weapons, furniture that can't be broken apart easily (or what he likes to think of as 'stake proof') and concrete floors with a screen over hole in the middle, that hooks into the drainage system of the rest of the building. Because supernaturals are known to get out of hand and when that happens, there _will _be blood. This way they can just hose it down and usher in the next in line.

"What's on the docket for tonight, Chow?" he asks his business manager of sorts. Chow is responsible for making sure everyone stays in line, while waiting and picks who should been seen in what order. He is a trusted advisor and has been with Eric for about 70 years.

"Well, you have several vamps waiting to check in, including one of interest," Chow nods his head in the direction of the 10th person in line. He is a handsome, young vampire, no more than 200 years old. Eric recognizes him instantly as one of the Queen's entourage…_That's interesting_.

"You also have a couple of vamps responsible for crimes against humans in the area, including several 'accidental' drainings. I have Clancy working on the cover stories, but they'll need to be dealt with…And one dispute resolution involving a vamp couple who wants to split up. Then finally, your Were developer's who think they found a space for that bar you want to open after the Reveal." Chow hands over several forms required for the night's dealings and then heads into the conference room.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Eric says to no one in particular.

After seeing to the first nine run-of-the-mill check-in's, the one vampire Eric is truly interested in hearing from, strolls in.

"Bill Compton! How surprising it is to see you this far north. Do you bring word from the Queen?" Eric is playing dumb. He knows Bill is here to 'check-in' but he wants to know what prompted his departure from such an easy life with the Queen, down in New Orleans. Even without the Reveal looming, NOLA has a bit of a reputation for being open-minded about the existence of other kinds. And his kind has thrived there and lived nearly openly for at least a century now.

"I've come to check-in with my sheriff, that's all. I have recently inherited my family's old homestead in Bon Temps. I plan to live there and restore it, as long as our coming out is successful. I plan on mainstreaming if possible," Bill states rather dryly.

"Well that's very brave of you Bill. Being that Bon Temps is a bit back-water, don't you think? You won't be nearly as comfortable there," Eric states, still fishing.

"It is where my family is from. It is where I am from. My grave marker is in the cemetery outside this home. So on the contrary, _Sheriff_ – I think I'll feel right at home."

Bill Compton can control his facial expressions like the best of them. Eric will give him that much. But he also knows he has made Bill nervous. There is definitely more to his sudden interest in moving back to Bon Temps than meets the eye. It's just not like vampire's to hold onto things like homesteads, let alone live in the same area where they and their human families had all lived. And Bill was only about 200 years old, which meant the likelihood of blood relations still being in that town was pretty high.

_I guess I will be making a call to Queen Sophie-Anne when I'm through here_, Eric thought.

"Very well Compton. I expect you to swear fealty to me and be of assistance as the need arises. I'll be in touch." Just like that, Bill Compton had been dismissed.

The rest of the evening was boring as ever. There were the usual Sheriff duties: A hand of one vamp, who was embezzling money from his business partner, was cut-off as retribution; A de-fanging of two fledgling vampires -- they had killed five young women in two nights time, claiming accidental draining. _Please! _And then there was the vampire couple who wanted to separate and couldn't agree on how to split their profit from the sale of their home. $45,000 with a 10% commission to the Sheriff for his trouble.

He sat through several business meetings with various Vampires and Weres. Most were just looking to catch a ride on his proverbial coat tails, especially with the anticipation of them coming out. Eric was very wealthy, very powerful and had great business acumen. He was a great 'catch'.

The highlight to this oh-so B-O-R-I-N-G night was his meeting with some local Were real estate developers. He is planning on opening a vampire themed bar somewhere in downtown Shreveport. He thinks the bar will be able to take advantage of what should be great curiosity and fascination of vampires by humans, when they indeed reveal themselves, in a few short weeks.

They had found a spot for him that was only in need of cosmetic changes and could be opened within the timeframe he wanted. He just needed to call his child Pam back to him for that. He was in need of a female's touch for that aspect of the business.

Eric was finishing up his paperwork and preparing to call the Queen to find out more about Compton, when he felt a strange, yet familiar burst of energy vibrate within the building.

Chow visibly flinched, so he had felt it too. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Why don't you go check it out while I make this call to Sophie-Anne," Eric directed.

After speaking with several go-betweens, he was finally connected.

"Dear Eric, my favorite Sheriff, I was wondering how long it would take for you to call," Sophie-Anne sing-songs in her irritated voice.

So she knew he would be suspicious of Bill's sudden need to get in touch with his roots.

"Before you start whining Eric, I sent Bill to Bon Temps to do a special assignment for me. He is there because he has reason to be…both personally and out of loyalty to me. That's all you need to know for now," and then she abruptly hung up.

_Well, I'm glad that's all straightened out!_ Eric thought, looking into the receiver of the phone. Sophie-Anne really is incredible and definitely suited for her role. _Bitches get things done_.

Chow walks in, interrupting Eric from his introspection, "Master, you have a visitor. One you'll want to see to immediately. I've shown him to your private office."

"Why the secrecy, Chow? Who is it?" Eric commands.

"I was asked not to reveal that, Master," Chow cowers, getting the death glare from Eric. "Please don't take my request as disrespect, I'm certain you'll understand once you get there," Chow tries to backpedal a bit, to save his own neck. He has already witnessed some of Eric's ruthlessness tonight and certainly doesn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

Eric doesn't respond. He just continues to give Chow the 'look' while getting up from his seat to heading towards the door.

"Finishing filing my reports for me and when I'm done, you will meet me in my office."

In a flash, Eric was out the door and in the elevator, going up two more floors, to where his private office is. He never see's guest there, but he suspects it might have something to do with the strange energy they felt earlier.

As he enters, he notices that someone is seated in one of the chairs in front of his desk with his back to the door. The visitor had pale gold hair neatly pulled back with a leather thong and had a black cane held firmly in his left hand as if he were a great king holding a scepter.

Ironically, it _was_ a prince…the prince of the sky fairies, Niall Brigant, to be specific. This was quite unprecedented and explained the unusual burst of energy he felt earlier. They certainly had a history, but he had not seen this fairy in centuries. And for him to come personally and not send an emissary meant that this was something private and important.

Niall stood and turned, taking in the presence of the 6"4' massive Viking. He didn't seem intimidated in the least.

"Vampire," Niall stated with a nod of his head.

"Fairy," nodded the Viking. "It has been a while," he said as he made his way past the chair the fairy was now standing in front of, to come around to where his chair was resting at his desk.

"Please, sit," Eric offered with his hand extended, gesturing that the prince should resume the position he held before the he had entered.

He also took his seat. Now the two very powerful beings were facing each other. Eric had his fingers tented in front of him, staring at the fairy with no discernible expression. Niall was leaning slightly forward with his hand still clenched around his cane.

"What can I do for you this evening? I doubt you came to enjoy the spoils this vampire has to offer. Unless you are offering yourself?" the Viking said with a quick, dark laugh.

The Prince disregarded the remark and simply stated, "I need you to do my bidding once again vampire. I need you to find a young woman for me. A human. Her name is Sookie Stackhouse and she lives in the vicinity of Bon Temps, not far from here. Being that you are Sheriff of this area and due to your exceptional skill set, I believe you are my only hope in securing this most precious item for me."

Eric was a little stunned by the fairy's request. The Fae are not know for taking an interest in humans unless it's for physical pleasure (similar to vampire interests) and humans are most definitely not considered precious items.

"Which skill set are you referring to, Prince? You know I have many…" Eric trailed off with a leer.

"Well, obviously first, it is for your history as a well trained warrior. Appius' reputation for instilling certain values in his children is well-known. And your well earned prestige, as one of his most skilled children, makes you an excellent choice for me. Then there is your honor and sense of duty. I can trust you, when there are very few I _can_ trust, these days."

"And then of course there is your other reputation…with females. Your," the Prince clears his throat, "…ahh, finesse with the gentler sex will be helpful in this particular situation. Really, you are my only choice, in this matter."

While Eric was listening to Niall drivel on, his mind was off on a tangent. The mention of his maker's name snapped him back to another time. A time when things were anything but genteel.

Appius Livius Ocella, Eric's Maker, was a Roman Legionnaire, trained in the ways of warfare. He was well known for his ruthlessness, clever strategies and skilled fighting techniques in his human life, but even more so in his vampire existence. He was a natural born leader and probably the reason why he was made vampire.

He taught his children the way he was taught. They were all deprived of the most basic of needs. When Eric was made, he wore the same clothing for at least a hundred years. Eventually they were nothing but tatters, but to Appius, vampires had no need for them. He surmised that vampires didn't feel the change in temperatures the way humans did. And wearing clothing to protect their skin, well they healed fast from any wounds they would have obtained, so it was simply not a necessity.

His children were also taught to endure pain and hardship, hunger (thirst) and cold. Mostly his way of inflicting pain was through the sodomy of his male children, to the point where it was no longer considered pain, but a perverse pleasure.

He encouraged them to steal from other vampires, as well as humans. If they were caught by the other vampires, after they received punishment from them, if they survived that is, then they were punished again by him.

In between moving from place to place, hunting and stealing, Appius put his children through rigorous training drills. They learned the art of sword fighting, gymnastics, running, jumping, and throwing of spear and discus. He taught them songs of war, military poems, dancing (of all things) and how to recite the great Latin poets such as Virgil. He only spoke to them when he was instructing because he believed words only need spoken when making a point. They were not allowed to speak with each other, in case they were conspiring against their maker. And they were not even allowed to use his first name. He was only known as Master until he released you from his thrall.

The point of all his 'training' was to build the perfect warrior. Someone who need not show any emotion, for emotion was weakness and weakness led to the downfall of the group or nest. Cohesion and the will to fight, even in the face of final death, were his main goals.

And Eric, being of Viking descent and a great warrior in his own right, excelled in all facets of his training. Especially hiding emotion. He never liked having feelings, even in his human existence. There certainly wasn't a need now. His time spent with his maker was anything but pleasant -- not by any means. But it made him who he was today.

Once he was released and able to travel on his own, he discovered he had another skill. One in the art of seduction.

Thoughts of being with men, only reminded him of the cruelty he suffered under his maker. He vowed he would only take a man if it was of absolute necessity. His primary focused was on women. With his impeccable looks and build, he found it easy to get women to do his bidding, with only a hint of glamouring. And that was just so they would forget the whole fangs, drinking blood, vampire thing.

And after several long term experiences with other female vampires and humans alike, he learned much about the physical pleasures a lady most desires. He made it a study of sorts and it helped him hone one of his most under-valued, but most useful, skill.

Concluding his little visit down memory lane, he returned his attention to the Prince. He was only unaware for several seconds and Niall had no clue that the Viking was only half listening to his demands.

"What is so special about this girl?" Eric asked.

"I'd rather not reveal specifics at this time. The less you both the know, the safer you both will be. Know this, if any harm comes to her, forces that you cannot conceive will be set into play," Niall warns.

"What am I to do with her, once I've located her?" Eric continues his interview, trying to gather as many facts as he can, to calculate the risks involved. Niall's warning filed away for later consideration.

"I would like for you to keep her somewhere safe, under your direct watch. No one should be trusted with her, especially alone. I'm putting much faith in you, that you will also be able to control your urges around her," Niall declares.

"Well, I will not turn her, if that's what you mean, but you cannot expect that I will have a human woman around me constantly and not be – tempted. You mentioned yourself that this is one of my skills," Eric counters.

"If it is consensual, then I have no problem. But you will not glamour her or otherwise coerce her into anything, understood?" Niall demands.

"Why wouldn't you use one of your relations to watch over her, if she is such a prize? I'm aware of the triplets living in Monroe. Could they not be of assistance in this matter? I'm a warrior, a vampire after all. That's far from human 'friendly' as you've pointed out."

"I cannot trust anyone at this point, especially among the Fae. Once the threats are more clear, I may involve them to watch over her during the day, while you are at rest. But for now her existence and subsequent importance to me should stay just between us."

"Niall, what is the urgency? What has changed that puts this girl suddenly in danger? And who am I dealing with, as far as these threats you keep mentioning?" Eric asks.

"Her grand-mother, her parental guardian for the last 16 years, has recently died or rather was murdered."

"It was a particularly heinous crime by a supposed local thug, but I have reason to believe he was either 'not himself' when he did it, or someone else entirely was responsible and he was just the unfortunate soul to take the fall for it.

"Either way, Sookie is now on her own and vulnerable.

"As for who your enemy is, well, you know, I am a prince. And with that brings a set of enemies who will stop at nothing to remove me from power or to goad me into a fight. My foes are many and are not limited to just the Fae. Sookie will be used as a bargaining chip, of that I am certain.

"I am also convinced that someone will try and strike soon, possibly before your Reveal.

"So you see," said Niall, "It is of upmost importance that you exercise expediency, coupled with your gentle nature, to secure the woman. Once you have done so, I'll be in touch. Do you agree to the terms Viking?"

Eric gazes down at his tented fingers, taking in all the information Niall has given him. "How long do I have before it is necessary to retrieve the woman? And where shall I keep her? Here among my kind? I can hardly take leave of my position without drawing some attention."

"I understand it is a bit like leaving a lamb among a pride of lions, but that is the brilliancy of it…none of my enemies will suspect I would entrusted a vampire to keep something of such value to me."

"Is she related to you or a lover perhaps?" Eric can't help but feed his curiosity.

"All will be revealed when the time is right. For now, know that there is no option for failure. Secure the girl for me and keep her safe until I contact you. The only thing I ask of you is that you not turn her. That is not the kind of 'safe' I have in mind…no matter how – _tempting_ she may be. And in return for all this, I will be most indebted to you. Now, I must go. I will be in touch by messenger if the need arises."

And with a whoosh of air, the Prince was gone. Eric didn't even get a chance to really agree to his entire proposal. But of course he would do it. There's nothing like a good fight, especially when it involved women.

The minute Niall is gone, Eric is planning. Twice in one night he has a connection to the tiny town of Bon Temps. He's thinking of whether he can trust Bill Compton to look into the girl for him, but decides against it. Especially with the way the Queen was behaving.

Could the Queen be one of the potential threats? If that were the case and he were caught conspiring with Niall against her, he would be tried for treason and sent to final death…eventually anyway. But the way Sophie-Anne likes to express her creativity is with unique ways of torture. She would give Ocella a run for his money.

He picks up the phone, "Chow, get up here. We need to plan."

Within seconds, Chow appears at his door. He bows his upper body, "Master."

"Chow, you obviously know who that was that just left. We have an important task at hand. Finally something exciting around here! Who do we have in Bon Temps we can trust, other than Compton?"

"There's that shifter, Sam Merlotte, who owns the bar. He is definitely trustworthy. He doesn't belong to any pack and seems pretty indifferent to most of the Supes around there," Chow told him.

"Good. Get him on the phone. We need to know if he has any information on one Sookie Stackhouse."

At that very moment, Sookie was working a double at Merlotte's, because Arlene had called in again. This time it was because one of her kids was sick. Sookie was exhausted and just generally feeling down, since the death of her Gran.

Her brother Jason was of no use and actually held a grudge against her for not being home the night Gran was killed – As if he preferred it were her that was stabbed repeatedly in their kitchen, rather than Gran.

She was shaken from her thoughts by the phone ringing at the bar. She looked around for Sam, but he was over at the pool table, dealing with one of the local's who had had way too much to drink.

She decided to pick it up. "Merlotte's, this is Sookie," she said into the receiver. There was a brief pause and then just the dial tone. "Well up yours!" she said into the receiver, obviously at no one, but it made her feel better as she slammed the phone down.

Sam came back around the bar, "Who was that cher?"

"Oh just a hang up. Probably one of the local teenagers, having fun pranking everyone in town!"

"Maybe they just had the wrong number. It happens sometimes. By the way, Larry doesn't get anymore to drink tonight, you hear?"

Sam and Sookie went on with their night, slinging beers and fried food to the locals, while back in Shreveport, more planning had ensued.

"What luck!" Eric proclaims. "I can't believe she works at Merlotte's! I wonder if she is involved with Sam? Do you know enough about him to know whether he is involved with any one, Chow?" Eric is rubbing his chin, considering his options.

Chow gets a grin across his face, "I don't. But there's only one way to find out! It looks like you need to go to Bon Temps for a beer!"

Eric genuinely laughs, "I believe your right, Chow."

He stretches his long frame out, leaning back in his chair, placing his legs on his desk and starts to plan the seduction of Sookie Stackhouse.

In mere seconds he is running through everything Niall has asked him. First task: Obtain Sookie; Second task: Set up a place for her to stay; Third task: Secure premises for her; Fourth task: Find the threat and eliminate it.

Where is he going to put her? _The Penthouse_? There's no furniture up there. In fact there is nothing up there but his weapons and some devices they use to torture those who are out of line or not willingly giving information he seeks. The rooftop has always been fun for that and was one of the reasons he bought the 17 Story building to begin with. It was the tallest building in Shreveport until 1957. Nothing like threatening to drop a Were from that height, when they're thinking of not cooperating.

_Well, at least there is a bathroom up there, albeit rudimentary_. Did Niall not think of these things when he asked Eric to do this? He hasn't had a human living with him since before the Industrial Revolution. He doesn't know the first thing about what modern woman need…

He swings his legs down to the floor and leans across the desk, snagging the phone up in his hand. "Pam, Come. Tomorrow evening is fine." Pam will know what is needed for his new guest.

He looks at the clock on the wall. Only fours left until dawn. _I think I need to make a trip to Bon Temps_.

Eric runs up the remaining flights of stairs until he reaches the rooftop. He looks down at the city surrounding him, closes his eyes and takes a deep, unnecessary, but cleansing breath and rockets up into the night sky.

It only takes him about 20 minutes to reach the outskirts of town. He should have asked Chow where this Merlotte's was located. It would save him some time.

Fortunately for him, the town is small enough that after circling around and following the light traffic on the roads, he is able to locate it. It's late and it appears the bar has already closed for the night. But just as he decides to head back to the city, he notices a lone, beat up car leaving the graveled parking lot. He chooses to follow it, perhaps getting lucky twice in one night.

The car slowly makes its way down a dirt road, full of ruts and holes, and finally pulls behind an old farmhouse. He hovers over by the tree line. He would be holding his breath if he actually needed to breathe and waits to see who will emerge.

He catches a whiff of something familiar and his vampire hearing detects the sound of someone walking towards the west side of the house. It sounds like its coming from the cemetery. After some more purposeful sniffs, he realizes it's a vampire. And just as he becomes aware of that, he see's the person from the car open the driver side door. He panics.

For the first time in his vampire existence, he is unsure of what to do. Should he risk revealing himself in case this person is indeed Sookie. After all there is most definitely another vampire out here in the woods.

Before he can make a decision, a blonde head pops out of the car. It is one of the sexiest women he has seen in ages. She is of average height, but has curves for miles. She is wearing her hair in a high pony tail, black shorts and a white shirt. The shorts show off just enough of her strong, shapely legs. The shirt is pleasantly tight and the air is just cool enough at this hour, that he can see the peaks of her nipples poking out.

She slams her car door and runs up to the back porch, letting herself into the house.

This _must_ be Sookie, Eric thinks. And his mind starts whirling. But the snap of a twig breaks his contemplation. This time he see's the cause of all the noise. He lowers himself down into the trees, so that he is camouflaged by the leaves, but still has view of the yard and her house.

He doesn't believe his eyes. It's Bill Compton. _What the hell is he doing here_?

He watches him, ready to pounce if need be. But it appears Bill is just walking around the perimeter of the house, as if checking on the woman, to see that she is alright. Or maybe he is casing the place, to learn as much as he can about his intended victim. _Mainstreaming my ass_.

Bill is sniffing around and looking up at the sky and around the property. He must smell Eric, just as Eric had smelled him. Eric wonders if Bill is familiar enough with his own scent to realize it's him. Some vampire's have a very keen sense of smell. Coupled with a photographic memory, makes them superior trackers. Bill may possess this talent. _Maybe I should leave. I cannot risk being seen._

A light in the house pops on. It appears to be coming from a room that is on the side of the house that has an open field beside it. He watches as Bill moves swiftly towards it. He shifts his position to the other side of the house, where he is still hidden by the trees, but can see over the roof and keep an eye on Bill.

It appears he is watching the woman through the window. _He's nothing but a peeping Tom_, Eric thinks. And if this is _his_ Sookie, he certainly doesn't want Bill watching her undress…it should be him! He looks around trying to think of a diversion.

He flies back around the way he came until he is all the way by the cemetery. He see's a house through the grove of trees and headstones. _That must be Bill's house_.

He lands softly into Bill's gravel driveway, picks up a handful of rocks and throws them at the car that is parked beside the structure. The force of his throw causes one of the windows to break and sets the car alarm off. _Perfect!_

He takes to the sky to once again hide amongst the shelter of the trees.

He spots Bill blurring through the cemetery. That's his cue to head back to the woman's house. He see's the light is still on and it gives him a funny feeling of triumph to know that now he has full access to the window and Bill does not.

He lands soundlessly just outside the window, which appears to be a bedroom. With his height, he can see perfectly inside. It looks like a standard bedroom, complete with dresser, closet (that is open and spilling with clothes and shoes) and a queen sized bed. He notices a pile of clothes on the floor. He recognizes them as the white t-shirt and black shorts he saw the woman in earlier. There is also a bra and panties lying there too. The thought makes him hard. Somewhere in this house is a beautiful naked woman and he is stuck outside, like a common pervert, peeking through her window.

He groans inwardly at the frustration of it all. Stepping a little closer to the window, to have a more thorough sweep of the room, he hears the sound of singing and water running. The other door he noticed must be to an en suite bathroom. She's taking a shower and singing while doing it.

Eric momentarily becomes distracted by the vision of the wet woman, with suds sliding down her voluptuous body, over her taut nipples and down between her legs. He recognizes from her signing voice that it is indeed the same voice announcing herself as Sookie when he and Chow called Merlotte's earlier.

_Perfect_. He has found where she works and lives. Tearing himself away from the window, he moves to other parts of her house, trying to pick out details of how she lives and possibly decorates. Any clues to make the space he intends on creating for her in his Penthouse, more to her liking, would be helpful. Maybe he'll send Pam here tomorrow after she arrives. Then he'll put her right to work on decorating the space. And in no time at all, Sookie Stackhouse will be his most honored guest.

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**A/N: The Viking as a peeping Tom? He's quite possessive of her already, huh? He and Bill just never seem to get along. LOL. I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday, which ever one it is you celebrate! We have friends from just about every category coming over for dinner on Thursday. Should be great fun! Please let me know what you think about this chapter and where you think the story is headed. Thanks again!! *hugs***


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** There was so much eating and drinking around here before noon, that I had a whole afternoon to myself, to put the finishing touches on this and get it out early to y'all, while everyone else napped! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the hits, reviews, alerts, pm's etc… you have given this story. It makes me giddy!

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine, but Charlaine Harris'. I own all the grammatical errors, crazy thoughts and unhealthy obsession.**

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The minute her blood touches his tongue, he is no longer Eric Northman, womanizing gentle giant, but Eric Northman, vampire, predator, fierce and powerful. He can't stop himself. He bites down hard on her lip, causing more of her blood to spill. He is greedily sucking and simultaneously grinding into her, her back flush against the wall. If he presses any harder, her body just may leave an imprint.

_I think I might spontaneously combust! _ Sookie thinks. But then she remembers who she is kissing. _A vampire_. And he's sucking blood from her lip. Although it doesn't necessarily hurt…in fact it feels amazing, if the dampness between her legs is any indication, but what if he continues to suck? _Is it possible to be drained of all your blood through your lips?_ Her warring mind is tempted to find out, but she doesn't want to die—not this way especially.

An overwhelming sense of fear hits Eric. It clears his clouded mind. He realizes it is _her_ fear he senses. Through the small amount of blood he has just ingested, he can already sense her feelings. She is definitely scared. Maybe even terrified. He doesn't want her to fear him. He is fond of her already. Plus he wants to fuck her.

Eric reluctantly breaks away from the kiss but leaves his body pressed against hers. Even though her anxiety is strong enough to break his mind out of his stupor, his body is still responding to it. He places his cheek against hers, craving the closeness and her warmth. She is breathing heavily, her chest heaving with each inhale, causing her breasts to rub up and down against him. He can't help but still be turned on. He removes his hand from the wall and trails his fingers down her neck, onto her chest and ghosting them over the neckline of her dress. Her nipple peaks and hardens at his touch and she lets a moan escape her through her pursed lips. He takes that has a green light to enclose his hand around it and squeeze ever or gently.

He eyes her mouth again, debating on whether he is strong enough to steal another kiss. Her eyes are squeezed shut, but just as he leans in, they pop open. Sookie reaches up and grips a fistful of his hair and pulls him in for a deep kiss. _Apparently she isn't too scared…and I've not lost my touch yet._

All too soon, she breaks free, gasping for air again. He can feel her start to tremble. Her eyelids start to flicker. She can feel her head feeling lighter and lighter. _I never did get dinner_…

"Don't you do it," Eric commands. She tries to focus on his keen blue eyes, to keep herself from passing out cold. She nods to him that she is trying her best, but between not eating for about 18 hours now and the stress of the whole evening, everything has finally caught up with her.

He moves them back to the couch area and grabs a cashmere throw from the lidded wicker basket beside the loveseat. He wraps her in it and pulls her into his lap. Eric is overwhelmed by his instinctive desire to protect her. The fact that her fear had pulled him from his compulsion to feed has him disturbed. But he temporarily brushes the thought aside, for later consideration.

"What has you so afraid, Dear One?" Eric breaks the silence with his question.

Sookie takes a deep breath, inhaling his scent that is a combination of cologne and something _other_. The smell soothes her. She clears her throat in an attempt steady her voice and her heart that is pounding out a rhythm of retreat.

"It's just…you are a vampire. I know Hollywood's version of that, but I'm not sure what that means in real life. You were sss—sucking my blood," she hiccups, "…and even though it felt amazing and made me want to do more, it also terrified me. You could kill me, couldn't you?" she whispers the last part, not really posing a question, but more confirming a suspicion.

"I have no desire to harm you. I am here to protect you from harm. Besides, as I said before, if I wanted to, you would be already. I don't like to play with my food," he laughs. It was short and unfunny. But the way he was stroking her back, she could tell he was trying to comfort her.

"Perhaps if we discussed more of the arrangements I've made for you, you will feel more comfortable around me. Considering these awkward circumstances, I can understand how you might feel entitled to answers. So, feel free to ask me anything. If I don't want you to know or if it is not relevant to your situation, I will simply tell you so," Eric suggested very matter-of-factly.

"I just don't get it. I'm certainly not worthy of all this fuss," Sookie exclaims, waving her hand around the room and back at him.

"It appears someone believes you are. And I'm beginning to think so too," Eric gazes into the still blazing amber flames from the electric fireplace.

"I'm not sure what you mean. I'm just a barmaid from Bon Temps. Everyone there thinks I'm just Crazy Sookie," she looks so sad when she says this. Those backwater bastards wouldn't know precious, if it bit them in the ass.

"So, why did this person come to you?" Sookie asks, referring to their previous conversation regarding who started this snowball rolling.

"Because I can be trusted. And because I have certain…charms…that make me a logical choice in the area of personal protection."

"But you're a vampire. Is this other person a vampire?"

"He and I are long time acquaintances. We've helped each other on occasion. And although I can't say we have a genuine regard for one another, we have a healthy dose of respect for each other's position."

"You must be someone of great importance too then—for you to have been approached by someone of great power, as you put it," again recalling their conversation in the limo earlier.

"Not really," Eric said, "I have a reputation and I have worked with the person in the past, when he wasn't so powerful."

Sookie caught that he used the personal pronoun, 'he'. So now she knew she was dealing with a 'he', but again, who?

"When I asked you why _he_ came to you," she said, "I didn't mean 'why did he _choose_ you'. I meant why was he seeking your services specifically."

"Yes, I know. I was trying to sidestep the question politely. It's not something I can discuss at this time. In fact, I am only assuming _why_ myself. I was never given a direct answer."

"What about my brother? He is all I have left of my family. Nobody knows him better than I do, so if you tell me what the hell is going on, maybe I can help. We all want the same thing—my safety and my family's safety."

Eric was surprised by this revelation and fell silent for several long moments. He began slowly nodding as if coming to an internal agreement. "I had no idea you had a brother. I was under the impression you were an only child. He apparently is not under any threat, or I would have been informed of him as well.

"Sookie, if I decide to share some information with you, I will do so only because I think your insights might help me better protect you and understand the threat you are in. Do you understand? The less you know overall, the better, but under the circumstances, it might be best to be open with one another."

Sookie shifts her position out of Eric's lap and sits cross-legged on the couch, facing him. She pulls the soft blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Of course," she nods in agreement.

Eric leans forward, putting his arm along the back of the couch. Their faces are mere inches apart. "Sookie, as long as I have known this person, I have never known him to be so distraught. He claims that you are very precious to him." Eric locks eyes with her. "He also told me that you were under the guardianship of your grandmother, who had recently died under more than savory conditions."

_The second week of July—almost exactly three weeks ago. I found her blood body on our kitchen floor._

"He told me that she had been murder by a local man. That it was unlike this man to have done such a thing. Was it a robbery or did he have a grudge…some reason why he would have wanted her dead?"

"That's right. Rene was actually a friend of my brothers—worked with him on the road crew my brother supervises. The police say he was targeting women who had 'unnatural' relations with men. I assumed they meant that she was involved with Blacks or Gays, because that is just how narrow minded our town is.

"But she was old. She had many friends, including African Americans and homosexuals. It didn't matter to her if you were yellow and had three eyes, she judged people by their character and everyone that she knew was just like her…kind-hearted, loyal and willing to sacrifice something themselves so another wouldn't go without. I just don't understand it!" Sookie began to shed silent tears as she spoke of her Gran.

Eric's eyes were appraising her. "Are you sure they said 'unnatural' men, like maybe your grandmother knew of supernaturals?"

This made Sookie laugh, to think her Gran, of all people, knew about vampires and who knows what else! "Oh Eric, I hardly doubt Gran was out prowling in the night looking for a beautiful vampire to come take her blood, if that's what you are implying!" It didn't go unnoticed to Eric how she thought of vampires. He had to fight back a smile.

Eric stroked his chin. "Well Sookie, there are other Supes besides vampires. Many more, like say fairies. You happen to know anything about fairies?"

"Ha! Other than they have wings and come to collect your teeth or grant you wishes? You think my Gran was what…My fairy Grandmother? You have to be joking!" Sookie is now laughing a little hysterically. That really just set her off. She now had tears of laughter instead of sadness streaming down her face. This seemed to unsettle Eric a bit. He picked his hand up off the couch as if he was going to soothe her, but then put it back down as an afterthought.

"Do you need a tissue or something?" he asked, looking around the room, wondering if Pam had thought of things like that when she was putting this space together.

"Actually, do you have a bathroom? Do you even need to have a bathroom?" Sookie was losing it quickly.

"Yes, it's right over there and no, I don't. It's quite convenient, actually." Eric said with a lop-sided grin.

After Sookie returned from freshening up, Eric resumed their brainstorming. "Sookie, let me ask you this. Did your Gran ever discuss with you things about her past or is there any information regarding your parents that I should know about?"

Sookie's mouth fell open. "What in the world are you thinking? Do you honestly believe that my Gran was a fairy or somehow involved with fairies?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "That's exactly what I'm implying. Now tell me everything you know about your parents and your Gran."

After a lengthy narration by Sookie, Eric learned that her parents had died in a freak accident, a flash flood that swept across the road they were traveling on, when she was seven. Her Gran took on the duty of raising Sookie and her brother, until her brother moved out on his own once he turned eighteen. Sookie stayed on with her Gran and took a job waitressing at Merlotte's once she turned twenty-one. Her Gran was married, had two children, both deceased before her.

Nothing out of the ordinary, although he knew she was leaving some important detail out about herself. Something he had caught on to while they were in the car this evening.

He had received a phone call shortly after they left Bon Temps and started on the highway towards Shreveport. It was at a most inopportune time, because at that moment he had his face planted between her thighs. It seemed she wasn't prone to glamour, by wasn't exactly immune to it either and coupled with his natural sex appeal, she was putty in his skilled hands—or mouth as it was.

His driver, who was not entirely human, had automatically transferred the call to the speaker phone in the back, where Sookie had 'heard' the driver think that she was in for a real surprise when she saw that they weren't headed to a restaurant…and who her date really was. Luckily he hadn't thought the word 'vampire' right then, because that would have really set her off. As it was, she immediately snapped and started yelling at him. He knew then that she was something special, something other. That she was either a psychic or a telepath or maybe both.

Eric heaved a long, unnecessary sigh. "Sookie, my Sookie, although your tale is quite sad and very touching, I believe you are leaving some very pertinent information out." He paused and locked eyes with her. "I suggest you not test me. I have been nothing but forthcoming with you and have even gone out of my way—against my nature, to make you feel welcomed and safe. Now…what is it that you are not telling me, hummmm?" He runs his fingers down her arm, but this time it was not in a seductive way, but more as a threat.

Gathering some courage, Sookie said, "Look! I didn't ask for anyone's protection! I can take care of myself! I have been taking care of me and Gran since Jason left us and I am certainly more than capable of doing so now. I don't need to tell you anything more!" She huffed and furrowed her brow, while crossing her arms over her chest. _Brave and defiant, this one._

Eric laughed, a short humorless laugh. "You are telling me that you don't need protection? Are you not the one who accepted an invitation from a stranger, to go out on a date, without any confirmation of who I was? That was just a bit careless of you, don't you think? After all look where it got you." Eric stood up and was pacing, while lecturing her. He point around to there surroundings while he spoke.

"I beg your pardon? Is it not normal for a woman to make dates with strangers or is that beyond your comprehension? Are you too old to remember what its like to date? It is certainly acceptable to agree to such an invitation and to not have to assume that you are going to be kidnapped by some…some…psychopath in the process!" Now Sookie jumps up, throwing off her blanket and steps right into Eric's path, stopping in his tracks.

"Consider this…" Eric says condescendingly. "You meet a guy, in a bar, a real hole in the wall I might add and he asks you out, after just a few minutes of chatting and flirting. You agree to not only go out with this total stranger, but you give him your number and your address…where you live-- alone, in the woods, by a cemetery, with no living neighbors around. Then you willingly get into a limo and proceed to let him—touch you intimately. Am I right so far?"

Sookie felt a chill race through her body. "What's your point," she sasses, knowing full well the point he is trying to prove.

"That you are reckless in your decisions," Eric steps forward and grabs her arms, pulling her roughly into him. He bends his face towards hers, so that their lips are almost touching. "…And you are too trusting. You are here because _I _wanted you _here_ and it was far too easy to do so," he growls and then envelopes her mouth in an equally rough kiss, making his point.

He breaks away as roughly as he had taken her. "You cannot be left to defend yourself. I could have been any number of terrible beings. I could have even been some one like the man who killed your Gran or someone far worse…someone bent on torturing you, killing you slowly."

Tears well in Sookie's eyes as the truth of his words sink in. But instead of conceding that he is right, she steps forward, poking him in the chest and says defiantly, "Well, how do I know that you aren't one of those terrible beings, bent on torturing me and that this whole protection story is something you've concocted as part of the whole twisted scheme?!"

He grabs her wrist, effectively stopping her finger assault on him. "You don't. See my point?" She had walked right into that one.

"It's getting close to dawn and we haven't settled your sleeping arrangements or your daytime protection. So today, you will be staying with me, in my daytime resting place. It is completely safe. None of my guards have access. Come," Eric commands.

He drops her wrist and turns, striding to a door she had not noticed before now. It looked like a door that would lead to a back stairwell and actually had a neon EXIT sign on the top and a red bar across the top reading: 'Emergency Exit Only. Alarm will sound when open', like you see in stores and businesses. She hesitantly followed, debating on whether she should argue about the logic of this.

Eric opens the door; surprisingly no alarm sounds and waves his hand for her to step through it. She reluctantly follows, simply because she doesn't seem to have a choice.

They go down about four flights of stairs before they step through another door. He leads her along a short, lit hallway before coming to another set of doors. These are double doors that need to be opened by a biometric hand reader. The next passageway is lit only by red emergency lights. The colored lighting casts an eerie glow against Eric's skin, making him appear almost evil. Their path takes an abrupt left and the remaining corridor, wherever it went, was pitch-black.

"Follow me closely. Watch your step," Eric warns.

"Very funny! I can't see shit!" Sookie snaps, wanting nothing more than to go back to the Penthouse they were in moments ago or better yet, go home.

"You can see me, my 'glow' can you not? Just follow that," Eric reasons. _Why is he so logical all the time!_

They start down the walkway, with Sookie following as closely as she can to Eric. "Where on earth does this lead?"

"Stop talking and keep up, dawn is approaching soon." Eric's footsteps become more brisk. Then suddenly, without a word, they jolt to a stop.

There is absolute darkness now. Not even Eric's glow can be seen. Sookie whips her head around, trying to 'see' Eric, but to no avail. She stumbles forward and out into emptiness.

"The human body is amazing," she feels his cool breath against her ear. It sends a chill down her spine and right into her core. "If you deprive it of one sensory input, the other senses take over, almost instantly. Right now, the nerves in your body are literally 'tuning' themselves to become more sensitive," he whispers. His lips brush ever so slightly against her ear as he speaks. Her body feels like a live wire and he is powering the electricity.

He gently pushes her forward, guiding her in the direction they should go. She closed her eyes, since seeing was obviously not an option. She could feel his cold hand on her lower back. She thought back to the car earlier, when his hands were on other parts of her body. The thoughts made her shiver with want. But she was afraid to give in to her impulses. She was a virgin and he was a vampire. She had a little idea what sex would be like with a normal man, but she had no idea what it would be like with a vampire. And she had felt his 'desire' earlier against her stomach, when he had her pinned against the wall and that certainly did nothing to curb her fears.

They walked in silence entirely too long. "Are we there yet?" she sounded like a petulant child.

"We'll get there when we get there," he responded, just like a frustrated parent.

Sookie sped up, doing her best to stay composed, but the breadth of the darkness felt like it would engulf her. _I can't see one millimeter in front of my face!_

A sudden change in the floor texture caused her to trip and to lose her balance. Luckily she had fairly quick reflexes and a very fast vampire behind her (that could apparently see just fine in the dark), for she only managed to land on her knee and scrape it and not do a full-on face plant.

Eric swiftly picked her up, Rhett Butler style and she felt them go through another secured doorway. Except this time they seemed to be falling…no, floating down a tunnel. _OK, this is a bit like Alice in Wonderland_, she thought to herself. _Except she didn't have a devastatingly handsome vampire apparently floating her to the bottom._

They safely and quietly landed on the ground and stepped through a final set of doors that led to what she would soon learn, was his 'bedroom' or daytime resting place. At first, everything was pitch-black as before, with the exception of Eric's eerie glow, but then he pressed some button somewhere and low, recessed lighting appeared from the ceiling, illuminating the sparse space.

In the center of the room, that was reminiscent of a bank vault, was a large custom sized bed. It was definitely bigger than any king-sized bed she had seen before, but wasn't sure just exactly how big it was. _I wonder where you find a mattress and sheets for that thing?_ She thinks.

Eric immediately starts undressing…fully. She panics. "Ummm, what are you doing?"

"I'm undressing, obviously," he states with a raised brow. "I prefer to sleep in the nude. The feel of the satin sheets and fur covers feels comforting to my skin. You should get undressed too," he grins at this, while sliding his boxers off.

He stands there, wearing only a smile, "Well, what are you waiting for?" _He can't be serious!_

"I am NOT sleeping nn…naked…with you," she stutters, trying to avert her eyes from the deliciousness before her. She had never seen a real grown man naked before, only in peoples' thoughts, and of course on TV or magazine…but never in the flesh. Her heart was threatening to pound right out of her chest.

"See something you like, Lover?" Eric senses her nervousness and her lust. Then he also catches a whiff of her blood. He looks down at her knee and notices its bleeding. She had tore it up pretty good when she fell apparently.

Immediately his fangs descend. "You're bleeding," is all he says before he has her on the bed, flat on her back. She is scared out of her mind. She has no idea what he's going to do now. Especially after the way he acted earlier, and that was just a taste from her lip.

He lays down beside her, placing a cold hand behind her knee, making it bend upwards. She realizes it hurts quite badly. She hadn't considered it up to this point with everything that was going on around her (like the large naked man).

He bends his face down, while sliding his hand up her inner thigh, under her dress and begins to lick…her knee. Her eyes roll into the back of her head and eventually close. She lay there absorbing the sensations rolling through her body. She can't help but moan and buck her hips up, reacting to both him lapping at her wound and the motion of his very busy, very talented fingers.

After several seconds, she feels this strong tingling sensation starting from her toes, that make them curl. The feeling travels all the way up her spine, ending with a guttural moan exiting her throat. It was like a vision out of the Exorcist, but that was no demon leaving her body, but the purest release of pleasure she had ever felt.

She opened her eyes to see Eric staring at her, with a satisfied, knowing smile. "You are healed now, Dear One, see?" he points to her knee. She doesn't bother to look and just nods her head. Well, she tried nodding her head but she wasn't sure if she could actually move. It was like every inch of her was paralyzed for a second.

"I should have realized you were a virgin before. That explains your discomfort with my state of undress," he says matter-of-factly. He slides up the bed and sprawls out on his back, in all his aroused glory. He is obviously teasing her about her inexperience, but she will not take his bait.

"If you don't want to sleep in that fancy dress, you may wear my shirt there," he points to his white dress shirt that was crumbled on the floor. "And change in the bathroom that's over there." She follows the direction of his finger as he points to an almost concealed doorway, against the right-side of the room.

Sookie launches herself out of the bed like a rocket, grabs his shirt and runs into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She leans her back against the door, panting. She couldn't believe she had just let Eric not only lick her leg (and apparently heal it completely in the process) but give her the best orgasm…well, the only non-self-induced orgasm and therefore the best…of her life. What has she done?

_It's fine. I'm an adult. An adult, alone with a god-like, naked man who seems hell-bent on having his way with me. There is nothing wrong with what just happened…Except that he's a vampire and just licked my bloody knee until it healed. Oh God! How the hell did he do that?_

She disgards her dress, hanging it on the hook that is conveniently attached to the back of the door, slides on his shirt (which was like 10 times too big for her) and splashes cool water on her face and neck…twice…just to calm herself down. _Well at least he has a bathroom in here as well. That would have been problematic!_

She takes one last look at herself in the mirror. _I can do this. I can go out there and crawl into bed with that naked man. No big deal. He's going to his daytime rest, whatever that means. Hopefully just going to sleep-- all day._ She opens up the door and saunters out towards the bed.

"I think I like that shirt even better on you, Lover," Eric comments.

"Don't you get any ideas and stay on your own side of the bed!" Sookie directs.

"Once the sun comes up, which is in about 3 minutes, I will be dead to the world until nearly sunset. So no worries about me trying to take advantage of you…yet," he says with a sincere smile. Then his face turns more serious.

"I am placing great trust in you that you will not do anything to try and escape or to harm me while I am in this state. I will be at my most vulnerable. But I can also sense when I am in great danger and that makes me very lethal. Do you understand, Sookie?"

She just nods and jumps into bed, feeling the marvelous sensation of the satin sheets against her skin. The bed is made of some firm, yet inviting material that just seems to mold to her shape and the cover is some kind of giant animal fur. She's never slept under animal fur. _I hope its not one I'm allergic to_, she thinks.

It seems like there is a mile between them, which is just fine by her, she tries to tell herself. She glances over at Eric, who has one arm behind his head and the other relaxing across his chest and his eyes have closed. _Huh, I wonder if he's out?_

She lays there for a minute, just staring at him and letting her mind run through everything that has happened in the last 24 hours or so. And then she is out too.

She wakes up several hours later, looking around, trying to recall where she was. She is disoriented, hungry and has to pee like a farm animal. Everything comes back to her in a sudden rush and she's unnerved and disappointed that it all wasn't just a crazy nightmare.

Once she makes her way back from powdering her nose, it occurs to her that she has nothing else to do…nowhere else to go, other than back to bed. So she crawls back in and gets comfortable. But she isn't really sleepy any more. So she looks at the only thing around—Eric.

She peels back his covers, slow enough as to not trigger his 'danger' mode that he warned her about, and just stares. His nakedness is just as startling now as it was earlier this morning. He is absolutely perfect. And it has her heart beating furiously again.

He has perfectly formed muscles from his shoulders all the way to his calves. She cannot even think of a modern day man: famous actor, athlete or model; that has a more perfect form.

She inches a little closer and runs a finger, lightly across his chest, down the center, tracing the happy trail of hair that leads the way south. She pulls her hand back before she gets there, because just looking at his manhood makes her nervous. She doesn't think that all guys' things are quite that large.

He must have still been aroused when he fell asleep or whatever it was he did, because he was definitely standing at attention.

She looked back up at his face. He looked so peaceful and almost boyish. She wondered how old he really was and how old he was when he became a vampire. _I wonder how you even become a vampire?_ _Maybe I should ask him about that_

Her mind drifts to several different fictional stories she's read in the past and hopes that none of them were true, because she had already experience being bitten and swapping 'spit' with him. That counted for two theories right there!

She lets out a big, unexpected yawn and realizes she is still kind of sleepy after all. She leans up and places a chaste kiss on his perfectly pliable lips and curls up next to his side, falling deep asleep. Maybe she could trust him, in spite of everything. She could give him enough trust to get to the bottom of this mystery she found herself in, at least. And ultimately, he had trusted her to stay with him while he was at his most vulnerable, as he said, so she should give him an equal chance, right?

Is that all she would give him?

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**A/N: Hope everyone had a happy, safe holiday, with minimal drama at the family dinner table. Now on to New Year's! Have you made any resolutions yet? Hit the little green button and let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** My _gratitude_ once again to the tremendous response to my story, so far!! I can only hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! This chapter didn't have all the elements I'd hoped to squeeze in. But, it flowed better to save some stuff for next chapter, which I will be posting soon.

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, then it's certainly not mine! The character's and some scenes described in this chapter belong to Charlaine Harris. I own all the grammatical errors.

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Eric never looked more like a vampire, than at that moment. The sight of his fangs fully extended, lips pulled back in a snarl, brows furrowed and eyes glowing, has her paralyzed with fear. The growl emanating from his throat sounds nothing less than that of a savage beast, ready to attack.

One minute, she was curled up next to his beautiful cool body, having one of the best dreams she has had in god knows how long. The next minute, she was prone on her back, with a vice-grip, that was Eric's large hand, closed around her neck.

Eric had risen from his unconscious state to the feel of a warm, soft body curled into his side and he instantly went into defense mode, flipping his attacker on their back in less time than it takes for a human to blink. He gripped the would-be assailant's throat, ready to rip it to shreds and bathe in its blood. He was staring deep into their eyes, ready to glamour them into a motionless state when realized he had made a horrible, unforgiveable mistake. _Sookie!_

Not only could he see the shear terror in her eyes, but he could feel her trembling body and hear a high-pitched whine emitting from her mouth, involuntarily. Now that he recognized who it was—who she was, he could also feel her emotions. It was unlike anything he had felt before, nearly crippling.

In another flash of an instant he was off her, pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. _How could he explain to her that it was a mistake?_ It was purely his survival instincts that took over for a second.

Sookie was still lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling, trying not to hyperventilate. She realized he was still in the room, pacing back and forth, seemingly distraught.

"I'm so sorry Eric. I shouldn't have touched you in your rest," Sookie stammers out. "I…I woke up and didn't have anything to do and you just looked so peaceful and unthreatening. And then I just fell asleep," she had silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Of course she left out the part about feeling him up and staring at his Gracious Plenty, but now was not the time for that discussion. _How could I be so stupid! He warned me!_

She leans up on her elbows to look at him, assuming he is trying to figure out how he's going to murder her and explain it all to her protector. "Eric, please don't kill me. I wasn't trying to hurt you, I swear. You are so intimidating when you are awake, I was just trying to…I don't know…get comfortable with you, without feeling so threatened."

Eric darts to her side, surprised by her revelation. He was actually _feeling_ regret for his actions. He never feels—_anything_. He pulls her into his arms, trying to express his remorse without actually having to say it. Eric, Viking vampire, Sheriff of Area Five never feels emotions and he definitely does not apologize…to anyone for anything. And apparently he can't stand the sight of weeping women either.

"Shhh. Relax, Lover. I'm not going to kill you. Just stop crying, please. I was just taken by surprise by your presence. It's been centuries since I had anyone stay with me in my daytime rest, let alone a human," he says, trying to explain to her why he reacted the way he did. It was as close as she was going to get for an apology.

She wipes her tears and runny nose on the sleeve of his shirt, she is wearing. "And now I've ruined your shirt," she cries, sobbing a little harder now.

"I'll buy another one. In fact, I'll order a closet full. Just please stop crying."

He starts rocking her, a little too fast for it to have the intended affect and kisses the top of her head. "My last conscious thought was that you were on the opposite side of the bed, stiff as a board, afraid of my naked body. I had no idea I would wake, to find you curled against it.

"I told you, that if I sense that I am in danger, I can and do become lethal, as you are an unfortunate witness to, now. Are you hurt?" He pulls her away slightly, to look at her throat. They are both lucky he didn't break her neck. As it is, she will probably have severe bruising.

He touches her there gently and she flinches. "So you were touching me while I was at rest?" Eric asks with a lop-sided smile. "Where exactly were you touching me, Lover? And more importantly were you touching yourself, too?"

She tries to push away from him, but he doesn't give in. "If you are trying to distract me by pissing me off, than you are doing a damn good job!" she spats.

Her face and neck have turned a lovely shade of red and he can feel her embarrassment. "You know, you didn't have to wait for me to go to sleep, to touch me. I'd let you touch me any time you want." He takes her hand and closes it around his stiff member, guiding it into a couple of slow strokes.

"Oh god, Eric," is all she can spit out before wiggling out of his grasp. She moves away from him on the bed.

"Why do you insist on teasing me?! Especially since you know I haven't done any of this stuff. It's so embarrassing!"

"There's no reason to be embarrassed, Lover. Desire is a natural feeling and I have a certain affect on women. And apparently just like everyone else, you are not immune."

She closes her eyes tight, clenching her fists to her sides. She had never imagined she'd have to try so hard to keep her hands off a man.

"Sookie, are you OK?" Eric asks. "Maybe you should have some of my blood so that you won't bruise," he suggests, pointing to her neck.

Her eyes fly open and her mouth gapes with an audible pop. "What? Why would I do something like that?" she asks wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"My blood has healing powers, just like my saliva. Remember last night, I licked your knee for you and its perfectly fine today, is it not? My blood has an even stronger affect. It will cure you of everything. It's really unheard of to have a vampire offer his blood freely. I would be giving you a great gift. And with my age, you'd only need a small amount."

Sookie shakes her head, "No. No thanks. I'll be fine. A couple of aspirin and I won't feel a thing. If you give me anything today, I would like it to be food and a change of clothes, if you don't mind." She points to the oversized dress shirt she has been wearing as a nightgown.

He moves in closer to her again. "I am rather partial to seeing you wearing my clothes. It's quite a turn on." He reaches out and pulls her in for a toe-curling kiss.

Sookie breaks free to catch her breath and realizes that the danger has surely past and he didn't even seem mad at the possibility of her touching him while he 'slept'.

"Well, if you aren't going to kill me, than let me up you big oaf! I'm starving and I need to pee!" Sookie shoves at the vampire's large body and squirms away, nearly falling off the bed in the process. _Damn silky sheets!_

He can't help but chuckle and feel relieved at her resilience and sudden shift in attitude. He can handle the spit-fire Sookie much easier than a weepy, scared Sookie.

"By the way, I get real moody when I haven't eaten, so prepare yourself _Vampire_. It just might be me who bites next," Sookie says saucily. She places her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense matter to emphasize her point.

"Are you threatening a thousand year-old vampire with physical harm if you don't get to eat? Isn't that a switch?! You truly are one delightful creature, Sookie," he says hopping off the bed to come stand in front of her.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! Are you really a thousand years old? Seriously?!! So are you actually a Viking then, because I have to say, the minute I saw you, I thought 'he looks exactly like a Viking,' minus the helmet and furs and swords, that is. Wait…is that you in that painting in the Penthouse?

"And would you _PLEASE_ put on some clothes!" She throws her hands over her eyes, to block her view and the wave of inappropriate thoughts running through her head.

She is overwhelmed to think that a real life (well undead) Viking is in essence, her bodyguard! It's unimaginable to envision all of the things he's seen and the time periods he's 'lived' through! And good god, what a body that man has. _I need to get away from him, before I jump him!_

She quickly turns on her heel and runs into the bathroom, slamming the door. She would have locked it, but of course there are no locks on the doors around here. I guess a flimsy interior door handle isn't going to keep a vampire from coming in anyway.

"Hurry up in there, we need to head upstairs and get ready for the evening, Lover."

This time when they traverse the maze that makes up the path to his resting place, he carries her the whole way. It makes for a much faster, less eventful trip.

When they arrive, there is a beautiful woman, with similar coloring as Eric, waiting for them. She was shorter than Sookie and definitely petite. The image of a Milk Maid came to mind, that is until she flashed a fangy smile.

"Sookie, this is my child, Pam. Pam, Sookie." Eric waved his hands between the two as a way of introduction.

Pam gave Sookie a brief nod and then bowed slightly toward Eric saying, "Master."

"Sookie, I had Pam bring you some clothes. Hopefully they are to your liking. And she also brought some food for you, so there is no need to go on a biting binge," Eric says cracking a smile. Pam raises her eyebrow in a questioning way, but she is also amused at her Master's behavior around this young woman. She has never witnessed him expose this side of himself in front of others, especially humans.

Pam reaches into a shopping bag at her feet and hands over a set of folded clothes. "I put shower gels and other hygiene items in the bathroom over there. Why don't you get yourself cleaned up while I have a word with my Master," she suggests.

Sookie looks at Eric momentarily. "What's with this Master business? You aren't expecting _me_ to call you _that _are you?" she retorts_. Because there is no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I'm gonna!_

"Only if you want to Sookie," Eric says with a genuine laugh. "Pam is my child, that is, I made her vampire. She is obligated to address me in a formal manner. However, I don't force her to do so, unlike _some_ makers. She does it out of respect for our relationship. It's like how you would address your Gran.

"Now go. Pam and I have things to discuss. Things that you do not need to hear." Eric takes her by the shoulders and turns her towards the direction of the Penthouse bathroom and gives her a swat on the behind to get her going.

"I am not an effing horse, Eric!" Sookie snaps and storms off towards the bathroom.

"No, definitely not," Eric leers, watching Sookie's ass sway as she walks away.

"Well isn't she a treat!" Pam exclaims. "What have you gotten up to since last night? I didn't see any visible bite marks. But I did notice the nice hand print you left there. Tell me everything," Pam teases Eric.

While he fills Pam in on what has gone on up to this point, Sookie enjoys her shower and getting into comfy clean clothes. The pink velour track suit with matching pink underthings, would not have been her choice and she was a bit intimidated by the thong, but everything fit like a glove and she did seem to look quite well when she examined herself in the mirror.

All but the obvious mark around her neck.

She was blow-drying her hair when Eric knocked on the door. "Sookie, I need to get ready. Why don't you come out and get something to eat and then you can finish primping your lovely self while I'm gone." It amazes her that Eric can be so lascivious even through a door.

When she comes out, Pam hands her a pair of Ed Hardy Converse to put on. "Love bites? Huh." Sookie shakes her head, reading the screen printed log on the shoes. _Is that vampire humor?_

"Sookie, I left you some food over in the kitchen. Once Eric is done getting ready, we need to go down stairs to attend to some of his duties. You will be perfectly safe here while we are gone. And you can call him over the intercom, there—on the wall, if you need him for something.

"I left the basic human food items in the refrigerator and some in the pantry. I even bought you coffee. If you think I've missed something, make a list and perhaps we can go together to the supermarket. If Eric will permit it, that is." Sookie rolls her eyes at that comment.

Pam continues, "It has been ages since I've needed to shop for human food and I found it quite fascinating how much these stores have changed and what they now offer! Plus there were some delicious looking cashiers, that I would like to see again," Pam said with a little fang showing.

"OK. Thanks Pam. It was really nice of you to go to all this trouble for me," Sookie was trying to mind her manners, but Pam made her a little nervous. "I'm sure whatever you've brought will be just fine. Can I get you something?" Her upbringing of being the proper hostess was kicking in.

"Are you offering?" Pam asks with a laugh.

"Oh right. Vampire. Sorry and no, I am not," Sookie says with a bright red face. "You know, it'll take me a little getting used to all of this. I apologize in advance if I offend you with something I say."

"You really don't know anything about Supes? Because you are definitely not completely human," Pam observes.

"Eric keeps saying that too! I most certainly _AM _human…at least as far as I know. I bleed like everyone else. I hurt like everyone else. I sleep, eat and do everything else a human does," Sookie states.

"I'll guess we'll see than, won't we?" Pam pauses for effect, "So for now, you'll be our little human, until we know more. Here comes Eric. Eat or he'll get upset," Pam stuffs a giant cranberry and orange flavored muffin into Sookie's mouth and walks towards the foyer.

Eric walks up to Sookie and brushes her hair off her shoulder, to look at her neck. "I'm glad to see you eating, Lover. I may need your help a little later, but for now, make yourself to home. The more you make this place yours, the safer you'll be."

"What does that mean?" Sookie asks.

"Vampires are not allowed to enter private human dwellings without an invitation. We have to be verbally invited in. If you make this place 'yours', than none of us can enter without your permission. Of course, you'll have to extend the invite to me and Pam, because I own the place, but you are under no obligation to invite anyone else. It's for your protection, Dear One." Then he kisses her on the forehead and walks to where Pam is waiting for him.

Well isn't that just interesting. _How can he drop something that big on me and then just walk away without further clarification?!_

So, Sookie makes herself 'to home' by making coffee and watching some TV. Figuring out the coffee maker and then the remote for the flatscreen, took nearly an hour alone. Vampire or human, men and their gadgets are enough to drive a girl crazy.

About two hours later, Eric comes back. "Oh, so glad to see you figured that thing out. I tried all last week without success!" Eric teases.

"It only took me about an hour!" Sookie laughs.

Eric hops over the back of the couch and settles down next to her. "Lover, I need your help. There are some people downstairs who are not being very straight forward with me. And I think you may be able to persuade them otherwise, without me having to resort to violence. You'd like that wouldn't you? To not have to have me hurt someone?" He's trying to coax her gently into admitting she has a gift.

"How would I be able to do that? You want me to flash my boobs at them or somethin'?" Sookie is in a very playful mood. Food does do something for her state of mind.

"Hmmm. We'll save that treat for later. No, I need you to do what you did in the car last night. You know, when you 'heard' the driver?" Eric braces himself for her wrath. But it does not come. Instead she just sits there looking pensive.

"Do you know what it is that I can do? Do you understand my curse?" Sookie sounds so sad.

"All my life people have casted me aside, calling me Crazy Sookie. My parents took me to doctor after doctor in hopes of '_curing_' me. I've spent most of my teenage years learning how to not use it at all and now you are asking me to willing use for you? Is this why I'm here? So you can take advantage of my telepathy?" Sookie said, looking troubled.

"No, Dear One. I simply picked up on the fact that my driver had not said a thing out loud, yet you somehow had picked his thoughts right out of his head. And he's not even entirely human. So I assumed you were either psychic or a telepath. But I didn't want to pressure you into telling me about it, if you didn't want to," he explains while running his hand down her back to try and soothe her.

"I understand that in the wrong hands, your gift could be exploited. I am at least giving you a choice. Consider it a trade-off of sorts. You let me borrow you for your gift and in return you owe me nothing for my hospitality or clothing or anything else I give you. Deal?" He would never have asked her for repayment of those things, but he was appealing to her more sensitive nature.

Sookie considers this for a moment. She was concerned about how she would repay him for all the clothes and food and stuff he will have to provide her while she is here. And obviously he knows about her gift and isn't freaked out by it, which was always the biggest problem with everyone else.

"OK. I'll do it, but only on one condition. You cannot kill anybody based on the information I get for you. You'll have to hand them over to the police, if they are guilty of breaking the law.

"And I can only read humans, well at least as far as I know. I can't seem to read you or Pam. So I'm guessing because you have no live brainwaves, I cannot capture your thoughts. So don't even bother to ask me to read y'all, deal?"

Eric pulls her into his side and kisses the top of her head. "Deal, but only for the humans. Weres and any vampires that are implicated by the humans have to be dealt with by me. It's my job as Sheriff." He stands up and pulls her up with him and they walk to the elevator, hand in hand.

"Sheriff? You're a sheriff? Of what Caddo Parish?" Sookie is giggling. "Where's your badge there _Sheriff_?! Ha. Ha. Are you going to deputize me?" She can't stop giggling at the thought of Eric as a sheriff. She is picturing images of John Wayne and Wyatt Earp. Eric pushes her into the elevator and up against the wall. He kisses her roughly on the mouth until the ding signaling the arrival on the next floor is heard.

Sookie is panting for air when Eric says, "There. You have been properly deputized," while shifting his hard on in his pants. "Now, stay close to me. Don't speak to anyone until we get into the room and I tell you it's OK. I'm not trying to be crass. It's for your own protection. Understand?" Eric shoots her a warning look-- one that tells her to just do what he says and argue later.

He walks them briskly down the hall and she witnesses all the people, humans and non-humans alike, waiting in line. It's like they are here for a book signing or something. They all stare at her as they walk by. She can catch glimpses of some of their thoughts. Typical stuff: _Nice rack; She's pretty; Nice ass; What's she have that I don't? I wonder if he'll ever sleep with me? Does he still do men?_

Well, not _all_ of it was typical. She shakes her head and shudders a little as they enter a room that looks like a jail cell from a made-for-TV movie. The walls were painted grey, the floor was grey concrete with a big drain in the middle and the large conference room like table was made of a combination of steel and that stuff IKEA furniture is made out of. There were several chairs scattered around that were that new concept industrial lounge chair style. She had seen them on some show, where they were used as balcony furniture. They looked like soft plushy chairs, but they were really made of solid plastic.

Pam and another vampire Sookie recognized, but didn't know his name were already in the room. "Well, it looks like I owe you $100 Chow. I honestly didn't think he'd get her to come," Pam shoots Chow a dirty look and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Oh, I got her to come alright and she'll come again and again if I have anything to say about it," Eric teases, waggling his eyebrows. His comment makes Sookie turn a deep shade of red, with embarrassment.

"Sookie, this Chow. Chow, Sookie," Eric performs, what seems to be his standard introduction now.

"Eric, while you were retrieving the lovely Sookie, Sam Merlotte called. He seemed concerned when Sookie didn't come by today to pick up her check. So he went by her house and said he smelled several different scents vampire."

'_How could Sam smell vampire_?' Sookie thought. And why were their several vampires at her house. She only knew of one, but he wasn't there long enough to leave a scent, was he?

"He wanted to know if we had heard anything or knew about Bill Compton. He assumes since Bill is Sookie's new neighbor that he may have something to do with her 'disappearance'. I told him I would speak to you about it, but that it wasn't really our place to look for missing humans. What do you want me to do?" Chow looks from Sookie to Eric.

"Eric, maybe you should let me talk to him. I can come up with some explanation. I'll ask for time off or something. He probably won't believe anyone else, unless he hears it from me. He is very protective of me," Sookie pleads.

"We'll discuss this later. We have other things to do now," Eric effectively switches the conversation.

"Right now, I need you to listen to some human employees of a business partner of mine. It seems a large sum of money has gone missing and no one can figure out where it went. And instead of torturing each one into telling the truth, I thought perhaps we could take a more aboveboard approach and use your considerable talent," Eric explains, smiling a broad genuine smile at Sookie. _He looks like a proud papa._

"And if the culprit is human, you'll turn him into the police, right?" Sookie asks.

"Of course, Dear One," he says with an eye-roll directed at Pam and Chow.

"Are you ready? Pam, Chow and I will be right here, so no harm will come to you." He was trying to ease the fear he felt starting to build in her. This is the first time she had ever really _tried_ to listen to people on purpose.

Eric nods to Chow, who vanishes from the room for a minute, but then returns with three humans and a vampire in tow.

"This is Bruce, Tina and Belinda along with their employer, Long Shadow," Eric points everyone out to Sookie.

"Bruce, Tina, Belinda—this is Sookie. She's going to ask you a few questions about the missing money and then you'll be free to go home, OK?" Sookie could tell Eric was using some kind of hypnosis technique to get them to cooperate and probably make them forget they were even here. She could actually feel the power of his suggestion flowing across the room at them.

She wondered how they could even work for Long Shadow without knowing he was something _other_. It was so obvious to her, with his pale skin and drawn facial features. Not to mention his choice in clothing was a bit outdated. _The 80's called and wants their MC Hammer pants back, Long Shadow._

"Bruce, lets start with you. Why don't you come and have a seat here across from me and I'll ask you a few questions, OK?" Sookie asks politely. Gran always said you'd catch more flies with honey, so Sookie was trying to be nice and disarming.

Bruce was real nervous because he was the one who actually discovered the discrepancy in the accounting ledgers. And after a couple of questions by Sookie, she could tell he had nothing to do with it.

Next was Tina. She seemed to be missing chunks of her memory. The way Sookie imagined it, Tina's brain was kind of like how Swiss cheese looked. She mentioned the discrepancy to everyone and Long Shadow seemed to tense a bit. She thought if she could just spend a little more time on her, Tina would be able to at least come up with a mental image, but Eric interrupted and suggested they move on to Belinda.

Belinda right away got an image of who she more than suspected was responsible for the missing money, but before Sookie could get the name out of her mouth, Long Shadow was across the room and charging towards Sookie. He managed to knock her to the floor, fangs bared and growling like a rabid dog. This was the second time tonight Sookie found herself in this position and she had a fleeting thought that maybe her number was just up and she needed to surrender. But instinctively her arms flew up in front of her face to try and block the oncoming attack.

It was a good thing she did because Long Shadow choose that same moment to try and tear out her throat but caught her left forearm instead, taking a big gouge out.

The next thing she knew there were several shrieks from the other humans in the room and an awful guttural moan that seemed to be coming from Long Shadow. Then his heavy body was no longer on top of her but rather sinking into her. He had a huge stake sticking out of his back and Eric was standing over him, with a mallet in his hand. Long Shadow was disintegrating into a pool of gelatinous goo right on top of her pretty new pink outfit.

She tried to scream but it came out more as a choking noise, as some of his blood oozed into her mouth. Then she felt a pair of strong hands pull her up off the floor and away from the now smoking remains of Long Shadow. Sookie spit whatever gunk was in her mouth out and tried to look anywhere but at the decomposing corpse.

"Sookie, you are hurt," Eric stated. "Pam, Chow -- get them out of here now!" he ordered, pointing to the other humans. He spun Sookie around to face him. "Let me see your arm." His fangs were fully extended and he his eyes were wide open and glowing a little like they did earlier this evening. This scared Sookie because that was the look he gave her when he was ready to attack.

"Don't be afraid. It's just the blood excites us. We are like sharks in that regard. And you smell so different, I don't know if I could ever get used to it enough to not want to bite you." Then he leaned in and started licking the blood off her face.

His actions became heated very quickly and before she knew, he had her spread out on the conference room table, licking and sucking all the blood off of her face and arm. His saliva was enough to stop the bleeding but the bite wound was deep.

Eric was visibly aroused when he stood back from her and appraised their situation. "I know you will have several questions and probably want to have a long drawn out discussion about this, but if I don't give you some of my blood, you will need to go to the hospital or see a doctor for stitches. And since we cannot really explain why you are covered in vampire blood and have a gaping bite wound on your arm, I don't think that is a good idea," he crossed his arms over his chest waiting for Sookie to argue.

She looked into his piercing blue eyes and for a long moment, she could feel that same power flow around her, as she did earlier when he was hypnotizing the other humans. But it didn't seem to have any affect on her.

"That shit doesn't work on me Eric, so quit it," she scolded him. He was surprised that she recognized it this time. The first time he tried it on her, it only slightly fazed her, just adding to her already heightened state. But now, she was too far removed from the situation to seem affected. Plus she had just accidentally ingested some of Long Shadows blood, he was certain of it. _Maybe vampire blood makes her more immune to our powers?_

"Alright, I'll do it…I'll drink your blood or whatever it is you want me to do. I don't want to cause any more trouble than there already is." And boy was there a mess to clean up. _That's why there is a hose nearby and a big drain in the middle of the floor_, Eric thought.

Eric walked over and locked the double-doors to the room. He pulled over one of the over-sized plastic lounge chairs and folded himself into it. Normally giving or taking blood involved sex, but with her being a virgin, he didn't want her first time to be while she was covered in another vampire's blood, in a gore filled conference room.

He patted his lap and said, "Come here Sookie. Sit on my lap and I will feed you my blood."

She audibly swallowed hard, took a deep cleansing breath and then walked over and sat down in his lap. They were both facing the same direction and she could feel his hard-on pressing into her back. _That must be uncomfortable_.

It seemed they were on the same wavelength, because she heard the sound of a zipper at the same time she heard a weird crunch. He pulled her tightly to him and placed his bleeding wrist up to her mouth. "Drink," he whispered in her ear, while she felt his other hand pleasing himself.

She closed her eyes tight, '_in for a penny, in for a pound_,' she thought and grabbed onto his wrist and started sucking. It didn't taste anything like the goo that was Long Shadow. It was kind of sickly sweet and with every draw, she felt better. Her arm began to itch, her hearing became clearer, and her vision more crisp and her neck no longer throbbed.

After a few more pulls, she felt Eric have his release and she let go of his wrist. She felt more than a little aroused herself and if it were under different circumstances, she may just throw herself across the table and ask Eric to have his way with her. But there was blood and bits of dead vampire everywhere and she was also covered in the same stuff. _Yes, definitely not the time_.

She turned to look at Eric and his eyes were clouded with lust. He looked so handsome and relaxed just then, she had to kiss him. After all, he had not only just healed her of her serious wound, but he had killed another of his kind, to save her life. She deepened the kiss to show her gratitude and began exploring his chest with her hands. Then there was an unfortunate knock at the door.

Eric sighed in frustration. "It's Pam," he whispered against Sookie's mouth. She immediately jumped up, at vampiric-like speed and went to open the door. She felt great! Like she could crawl up the wall of the building, like Spiderman! _Wow…Eric's blood is awesome_, she thinks.

"What have you two been up to in here," Pam chides.

"Take Sookie upstairs to get cleaned up, while Chow and I wrap things up here. Once word gets out that there was a staking, the line will dissipate and I'll be able to come up and join you," Eric instructs.

Pam takes Sookie by the arm and leads her out the door. "You are so much trouble, Sookie," Pam teases.

As they were heading towards the elevator, she hears a man call, "Ms. Stackhouse…Oh, Ms. Stackhouse?"

It was a voice she had never heard before. Pam sighs, sounding a bit irritated. "Compton."

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**A/N:** _Oh no! Bill Compton, you wouldn't dare!_ So, how was your holiday? Any thoughts on what you'd like to see next chapter? Hit the little green button and let me know what's on your mind. Thank you for reading. Your hits, alerts, PMs, reviews are the only compensation an author on this site gets. *flashes puppy dog eyes* Could you spare a moment? :)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks again to everyone's response to this story! I can't even tell you how excited and pleased it makes me that y'all like the story so far!

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it's not mine, but the work of Charlaine Harris. I own all the grammar mistakes. If you see something glaringly obvious, PM me & I'll fix ASAP. Enjoy!

* * *

"Ms. Stackhouse, could I have a word with you?" Bill's voice echoed behind her. She turned to face him.

She noticed immediately that he was vampire. To her, it seemed that all vampires had a strange glow to their skin. She wondered if she was the only one saw it, considering the humans that she just met with, didn't seem to have a clue.

She was a bit annoyed that he had stopped her. Could he not see that she was covered in blood…vampire blood? All she wanted was to get up stairs, take a hot shower and maybe even have a stiff drink. It had been a long day—evening— whatever.

"How do you know my name?" She looked to Pam, to see if she had a clue as to who this guy/vamp was. Pam's fangs were extended and not in a nice way.

"Compton. Now is not a good time, as you can see. Why don't you wait your turn and speak to Eric if you need something," Pam stepped slightly between Bill and Sookie. "Sookie, go ahead to the elevator. The blood on you might be tempting to the others. I'll be with you shortly."

"Sookie, wait. I am acquainted with your cousin Hadley. She has told me much about you. You and I are actually neighbors in Bon Temps, across from the cemetery. I would simply like a moment of your time, if that's possible," Bill asked in a very gentlemanly manner.

His southern charm did not go unnoticed by Sookie and she decided that anything he had to say to her, he could say right there in front of Pam and whoever else wanted to listen.

"You know what Pam? It's OK," she placed her hand on Pam's arm, trying to convey her ease with the situation. "What is it that's so important Mr. -- Compton, is it? That it cannot wait until I'm properly presentable?" Sookie pointed out her outfit that was currently covered in Long Shadow remains. She was thinking that two could play this game. _Southern charm at its best_.

"I was not aware that you knew of our existence or I would have approached you before now. As I said, I know your cousin Hadley quite well and she speaks very highly of you. I feel like I know you already!" Bill said with a handsome smile.

"And how would you know Hadley?" This comment made her suspicious of him. It seemed he was grasping at straws to keep her attention.

"Well she is vampire of course. In the Queen's court in New Orleans. I thought since you were here, you must know," Bill paused, unsure if he's given away too much. He could tell by the surprised expression on Sookie's face that she had no idea that Hadley was vampire.

Sookie pulled herself together at this shocking news. _Hadley, a vampire? A Queen?_ All of this would be amusing, if it wasn't all so scary.

She waved her hand in a circular motion, signaling that he should hurry up with his point. "Well, and there were several vampires and Weres at your house last night. It seemed as though they were looking for something or someone. So, after they left, I went over to investigate and noticed no one was home. And of course out of concern for you, I came here to speak with Eric about it—to see if he knew any reason why so many Supes would be at a human's home."

She considered the vampire in front of her. He was not unattractive. In fact he was handsome in his old-fashioned, sort of way with thick brown hair, lovely arched eyes and an aristocratic shaped nose. He was the polar opposite of Eric. But he was still giving off dubious vibes to her. Even if he wasn't human, she had always been good at reading peoples body language. His was screaming, "Don't trust me!"

"Well, Mister. The fact that there were visitors at my home last night really shouldn't be any of your concern, no matter what or who they are. As you can see, I am here and alive and – relatively well…," there was an awkward pause. She couldn't really say she was unharmed or safe at the moment, judging by what had already transpired tonight. But he was giving her the creeps, the way he stood appraising her. She felt like a prized cattle at the county fair – covered in blood.

"And I'm sorry if you have waited all this time in hopes to find me here and inform me of Hadley. You see, I haven't seen her since I was about 12 years old. She was heavily into drugs the last I'd seen her and then she ran away leaving her poor mother behind. Aunt Linda suffered terribly and eventually died of cancer. The fact that she is now vampire is of no consequence to me. So, really you can just save anything you have to say about Hadley. And honestly, I wouldn't believe anything she has to say regarding me. Now good evening to you," Sookie said irritably.

She turned to walk towards the elevator, when Bill reached out and grabbed her arm. He took a deep, unnecessary breath. "You smell of Eric and death. Are you his?" he demanded.

Immediately, through the contact and before she could answer his bizarre question, she was in his head. At first, in quick succession, she just saw visions-- dark visions of white things emerging from the ground and chasing after some prey. The thrill of the hunt was the 'flavor' of the vision. She gathered Bill was thinking of hunting, on the prowl for some prey. Maybe it was her since she was standing there, covered in vampire blood.

But then the images switched and it was as if she had been plunged into a pit of snakes. He was thinking if he could just get her away from Pam right then, that he could have her back to New Orleans and before the Queen in a matter of hours. Eric would have no idea where Sookie would have gone off to. And Bill assumed that Eric probably wouldn't even care. In fact, Bill's impression of Sookie was that if she was 'his' as he phrased it, that she was most likely some prized whore who must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight and certainly of not of any real importance. A fuck and feed. He didn't get why the Queen would go through all this trouble for some backwoods human.

Well that just pissed Sookie off! After the hell of a day she had been through, she was not going to stand for him not only man-handling her but also insulting her. Her anger snapped her out of his head.

The instant Bill's hand touched Sookie, Pam was ready to step between them and remove it—_permanently_-- but stopped when she noticed the strange look come over Sookie's face. She had a suspicion that she was reading his mind because of what she witnessed earlier, but Eric had assured her that Sookie could only read humans and partial humans. Pam was not aware that Eric had just given Sookie his blood. She hadn't noticed that the arm that had been bitten was healed now because of all the remnants of blood and gore that cover her track suit.

After a pregnant pause, Sookie slapped Bill across the face as hard as she could. And it was pretty hard, considering the 1000 year old blood freshly coursing through her body.

"How dare you!" Although she was referring to what he had been thinking, her accusation was interpreted as just a reaction to him grabbing her.

"Who do you think you are? I am _no_ ones. I am my _own_ person and I don't take kindly to being handled," she said staring him directly in the eyes, to make her point. She wasn't even sure where her courage was coming from. It was as if she'd channeled the emotions of those around her.

Both Bill and Pam were shocked by Sookie's sudden hostility and the odd sense of energy that seeming flowed from her. Bill immediately let go. "What are you, Miss Stackhouse?" He seemed to be going through a list in his head at the possibilities the way he looked at her.

"I'm a barmaid from Bon Temps and an honored guest of your Sheriff. I suggest you _not _do that again."

Pam quirked a smile at Sookie and then showed a little fang at Bill, while Sookie abruptly turned and briskly walked to the elevator and started frantically hitting the UP button. She was on the verge of tears and was starting to shake from the adrenaline rush she just had. Pam came up beside her and in a very human gesture, put her arm around Sookie's shoulders just as the doors opened for them to get in.

Once they were alone, Pam turned to Sookie and said, "What the hell just happened back there?"

"I…I don't really know. I think my brain is just on overload for the moment. I've been attacked not once, but twice today, by angry vampires, bent on ripping my throat out. Then I witnessed one of them being staked. And now I'm accosted by a third because he's my neighbor and says he knows my cousin Hadley?" The tears were pouring down Sookie's cheeks as they arrived back at the Penthouse.

Sookie walked right towards the bathroom, without another word to Pam. She didn't want to talk to her about accidentally reading Bill's mind. She wasn't sure she could trust her. She wasn't sure she could trust any of them. But if she was going to trust anyone with this information, it was going to be Eric. He'd probably kill her once he realized she could read vampire minds, but oddly, she thought that she'd rather die at his hand for some reason.

She called over her shoulder as she reached in to turn the shower on, "Pam, could you get me something to wear? Maybe some PJ's or something, if you happen to have brought them?" As far as Sookie knew she was stuck with having to wash and wear what she had on. But her question was answered when Pam appeared with another pile of clothes and a trash bag.

"Take those disgusting rags off and put them in here. I'll dispose of them while you are cleaning up," Pam instructed.

Sookie waited for Pam to leave so she could undress in private, but apparently Pam had other ideas. "Pam! At least turn around. I'm not going to undress in front of you!"

"Well that's no fair. Only the Master gets to see your gorgeous little body, then?" Pam said teasingly.

"Not even the _Master_ has seen this body…_entirely_," Sookie retorted, blushing with embarrassment. Eric had seen enough of her in the last 24 hours, but she wasn't about to give Pam the full view, even if she was another woman.

While Sookie was in the shower, Pam called down to Eric, to see if he had seen Bill.

"Master, you should have seen her! I've never seen a human be so brave before. And the look on her face when he touched her! It was unnerving. And then there was a weird sort of energy that seemed to come from her. What is she, Eric?"

"I won't discuss this on the phone. I have a few things to finish up down here and I'll be up momentarily." Eric set the phone down and was immediately in deep thought.

He heard everything that had gone on between Sookie and Bill, but he had also felt her emotions. Now that his blood was in her, he could feel her much more strongly than when he had simply drank from her. Her strongest emotion was when no one seemed to be saying anything. And the witnesses in the hall claimed she hauled off and hit him hard enough for him to flinch. Eric just thought that it was because of his blood providing the extra strength, but if what Pam described was true…that there was an energy flowing from her, well that could only mean one thing. He felt a similar energy every time he came into contact with Niall. Could it be that she was somehow related to the Prince? Could he have his very own fairy Princess in his possession?

If so, the possibilities of her uses and therefore the danger she was in, was great. Greater than he had anticipated. What had the Prince involved him in?

He picked up his phone again. He needed to get in contact with Niall, now. "Ms. Crane? This is Eric Northman. I need to get in touch with Niall. Do you have a contact number for him?"

Claudette Crane, the eldest of the fairy triplets, was the one who answered the phone. She wasn't surprised that the vampire Sheriff was calling to speak with Niall, especially after her grandfather had asked them to investigate an old woman's death a couple of weeks back. Once she found out vampires were involved, she knew Niall would be making unannounced visits to find out more. What she didn't know was why he was so interested in the woman's death. She was aware that he was heavily invested in the pharmaceutical company that had recently developed synthetic blood. The same synthetic blood that was prompting the vampires to reveal themselves to the world, so perhaps it was all related somehow. She didn't understand how Niall could invest in something that seemingly benefitted one of the fae's natural enemies, but he was a Prince for a reason and left those decisions up to him.

"Well, Mr. Northman, I don't make a habit out of giving out personal information on my grandfather. But I'll pass a message along that you are in need of speaking with him. Will that do?" Claudette flirted. The Viking was known among all the Supe races for his sexual prowess. Even if he was a vampire, it was not often fae women got to _enjoy_ the mating ritual. Their numbers were so few these days that sex was strictly for procreation purposes. Of course the fae men always got their good minute. _It was so unfair!_

"And the next time you are in Monroe, you must come by Hooligan's!" she giggled. A vampire at a strip club, surrounded by fairy triplets. That would be one hell of a night!

"Thank you Ms. Crane, I'll be sure to do that," Eric rolled his eyes and smirked at her attempt at flirting with him. He wondered how even fairy's were throwing themselves at him and he couldn't get one tiny human to give in. _She was truly amazing._

Eric made his way back upstairs to the Penthouse and met with Pam to discuss other vampire business. But he was really just killing time until Sookie got done with her routine in the bathroom.

When she emerged, both his and Pam's fangs ran down. She looked mouthwatering in silky PJ bottoms and a tight lacy camisole all in pale pink. She had a cranberry colored cashmere shawl cardigan over the top, but it was opened enough for them to get an eye full of perfectly round breasts that were encased in the lace, like a moth in a cocoon. Her hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders in natural waves and still slightly damp from the shower. Her skin was also flushed in nearly the same shade of pink as her clothes.

"What are y'all staring at?" Sookie said with her hands on her hips. Then she realized that her boobs were practically saluting them. She quickly wrapped the tie to her sweater around her waist and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Pam. I'll see you tomorrow night," Eric said dismissively.

He held out his hand to Sookie, which she took without hesitation and said, "Come, we have much to discuss. Let's sit by the fire."

This had quickly become Sookie's favorite spot in this place. Even though the fireplace wasn't exactly like the one in her old farmhouse, which she was truly missing, it had its own charms. The glow it emitted relaxed her.

Sookie stared into the flames waiting for Eric to speak. She was pretty certain Pam had filled him in on what happened with Bill. She couldn't even fathom how she was able to not only read Bill's mind but to gather enough courage to slap a vampire. And not only slap him, but do so hard enough that he was actually affected by the strike.

"From the look on your face Sookie," Eric said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible, "that this behavior of yours this evening is not _typical_ as far as your telepathy is concerned?"

Sookie shook her head.

"Then perhaps you would like to fill me in on exactly what happened and how you felt while it was happening?" His tone was almost accusatory.

"Eric," Sookie replied instantly, "nothing that happened with Bill was typical."

"So it is merely coincidence that you were able to gather enough strength to hit a vampire hard enough to cause a reaction?"

Sookie rubbed her arms to stem the chill rising in her. She tried to think clearly back to exactly what happened. "Eric, I can honestly say that up to that point, I have not been able to read vampire minds. But that's exactly what happened! The minute he touched me, I was in his head!"

Sookie drew in a quick breath and then continued, "Nor have I been able to gather enough courage to strike someone like that. I can't explain to you what happened. The only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with drinking your blood," Sookie said, thinking out loud.

"Tell me," Eric encouraged, running his hand down her back. He needed her to say it out loud and whatever she confessed, he'd be able to tell if she was lying. Then he'd decide which course of action to take.

Sookie took a deep breath and began to tell him what she heard and saw in Bill's mind. She was crying because she was afraid that with each word, Eric was a moment closer to taking her life from her.

"So, once he touched you, you were able to hear his mind? And he was thinking of bringing you to the Queen?" Eric realized that capturing Sookie must be the secret mission the Queen had sent Bill on. And it had something to do with her cousin Hadley.

"What does this cousin of yours know of your gift?" Eric said relaxing back against the couch, placing his arm across the back of where Sookie was curled up.

"Well, she knows that I can sometimes read people's thoughts. But when I was younger it was much more unpredictable. I didn't always hear things and sometimes I had to have physical contact with the person. It wasn't until I got older that my curse seemed to get stronger."

So Hadley was probably trying to impress Sophie-Anne by bragging about her gifted cousin and inadvertently set her up to be kidnapped and forced into servitude by a vampire Queen. _Great_.

"What are you thinking Eric? I'm pretty much dead meat, aren't I? I mean if I can read vampire minds, and everyone finds out, I won't live five more minutes, right?"

"Only one way to find out. Try and read me," he suggested, leaning forward and looking her square in the eyes.

She reached out, touching his face. To concentrate a little more, she closed her eyes and strained to see if she could pick up anything. After several tense moments, she opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Nope. Nothing. I swear. All I see and hear is a big blank void, just like before," she paused for a second and Eric could tell she had told the truth.

"Maybe because it had only been a few minutes from when I took your blood that Bill touched me, it sparked something. You said yourself that you are really old," he narrowed his eyes at her for the age comment and she couldn't help but giggle a little. "…I mean is vampire blood like wine? The more _aged_ it is, the better it's supposed to be? If it can heal a gaping bite mark on my arm, then perhaps it did something to expand my telepathy?"

"We could try it again, you know," Eric said seductively, running a finger from her temple down to her chin. He licked his lips thinking back to her drinking from him. It was almost more pleasurable to have her drink from him than the other way around.

She smiled at her own memory of that moment. "You'll do anything to get into my pants, won't you Viking?"

"I've already been in your pants darlin'," Eric whispered, as he slid closer to her, wrapping his arm around her and moving his mouth within inches of hers. "It's the rest of you I want to be in. But I'm a patient man. I'll wait until you give me permission." Then he kissed her for all she was worth.

She moved to straddle his lap and grind a little into him. Sookie could no longer fight the urges she has had for this man since the night he walked into Merlotte's. The pull was even stronger now for some reason.

He untied her sweater and began massaging her breast with his large hand. He felt like she was made for him. Everything about her fit him perfectly. Her demeanor, her body and now it seemed her considerable mental talents, which had just been given a boost by taking his blood.

She mewed like a kitten and dry humped him while their kissing intensifies. He pulled her sweater off and was just about to get the camisole off as well, when they both felt a sudden burst of energy. Eric immediately knew it was the Prince and pushed Sookie off of him. She was getting ready to protest, when she noticed the tall, slim man standing in the space between the living room area they were in and the walkway that led to the foyer.

Sookie gasped. She was startled that he just seemed to appear out of thin air. It was obvious that he was anything but human. Though he had some age on him, he was still incredibly handsome, with long pale gold hair, about a shade lighter than hers and dressed in an impeccably designed suit that was plainly very expensive. He was looking at her intently.

"Child," he said in a lovely resonant voice, holding out his hand as if he wanted Sookie to take it.

Eric swiftly moved off the couch to stand between Niall and her. "Sookie, this is Niall Brigant. Niall, Sookie." There he went again with his famous introductions.

She stood up, securing her sweater back around her. She inclined her head in a respectful nod that she had learned from her vampires. And he broke into a breathtaking smile.

"It's lovely to finally meet you dear. Please come here, let me have a look at you." He didn't say it in a creepy manner, but something about him made her hesitant, so she looked to Eric for reassurance. He nodded signaling to her that it was OK, so she moved closer to him.

She stopped in front of him, keeping Eric off to her left, just in case. Niall grabbed her hand and placed it between both of his. Almost instantly a powerful surge of energy ripped up her arm and spread warmth through her body. She felt like she just had an electrical shock. All of her nerve endings were tingling. She glanced at Eric in a panic and he seemed as stunned as she was.

She turned back to Niall, looking directly into his deep green eyes and noticed not just the extraordinary color, but the depth of them. It startled her. "Who are you?" she asked, not meaning for him to repeat his name.

"I am your great-grandfather," Niall replied.

"Oh shit," she huffed out. She instantly covered her mouth. Her Gran would be rolling in her grave if she knew Sookie had just cursed in front of an elder.

Eric was flabbergasted further by this revelation. He had suspected something like this earlier, but never in his wildest imaginings did he think it was true. It was just an errant thought. One that had manifested right before his eyes.

"Great-grandpa?" Sookie said, trying out the name. Her thoughts were all over the place and surely she looked silly standing there with her mouth slightly agape, still holding his hand. At least the electric shock feeling had subsided.

"Perhaps we should sit," Eric suggested.

Everyone moved to the appropriately arranged furniture, with Sookie sitting on the couch turned towards Niall. Niall sat down next to her turning his body as she did, while Eric sat in the Winchester seat across from them. He decided he would just sit back and observe the situation for a spell.

"Please explain," Sookie asked politely, "I mean I don't doubt your truthfulness for some reason. It seems just from us touching I can feel it's true, but I don't understand how." And she also realized that like vampires, she couldn't read a single thought from him. His brain was completely closed off to her.

For the next several minutes, Niall filled Eric and Sookie in about his being of the fae and regarding his transgression with a human woman that resulted in the birth of twin boys. He connected the fact that one of those boys eventually had his own transgression with Adele Stackhouse, Sookie's Gran. Then that union resulted in the birth of her father and Aunt Linda.

Sookie found it hard to believe that Gran would have cheated on her husband and had not just one but two children out of that relationship. But for some reason, everything Niall divulged to her, just clicked into place, like pieces to a puzzle.

He proceeded to ask her questions about her father and the relationship she had with him as well as her mother.

"Why did you decide to come now to see me? How long have you known about me?" Sookie was a little peeved at his sudden interest. After all, she hardly had any family left. It would have been nice to have known him while she was growing up and struggling with the loss of her parents.

"I have known of your family for the last sixty years. However, my son forbade me from making contact with any of his offspring," Niall said sadly.

"So what has changed?" Sookie asked, but as soon as the question left her mouth, she knew the answer – he must be dead.

"So you are the one who asked Eric to kidnap me?" Sookie peeked over at Eric and gave him a sly smile.

Niall laughed at the kidnapping jab. "Yes, I asked Eric to find you and bring you under his protection. He is very skilled and trustworthy. I have known him for many, many lifetimes." He looked from Eric to Sookie and sensed he has made the right decision in bringing them together.

"After my son Fintan died, I became aware of your specific existence and because I was aware, then so were others. I am a powerful Prince. And in being so, I have many enemies. Enemies who would stop at nothing to hurt me, by hurting those around me, including you. You are very special," Niall said, letting the last part hang and not quite explaining.

There was an awkward pause in their conversation and then Sookie's stomach growled.

"Oh my! Where are my manners? Do you need something to drink or eat? Do fairies drink and eat human food? I'm sorry, I just don't know anything about any of this supernatural stuff," Sookie rambled nervously.

"It's OK, dear. I'm fine. I need to be careful with what I eat and touch here in this realm anyway. We are very sensitive to iron and lemons. And of course vampires are our most dangerous element," Niall said with a smirk at Eric.

Sookie was headed to the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks when he said that last part. "What?" she shrieked.

"Oh! Didn't Eric tell you? Or maybe he showed you…hummm, Eric?" Niall teased Sookie. Eric had never seen Niall act this way. That was the strange thing about Sookie. No one seemed to act as themselves around her. That made him wonder…

"Showed me what?" Sookie said innocently.

"That fairies smell delicious," Eric boomed, bearing his fangs. "They are nearly irresistible, but so hard to catch!" he said with a laugh.

Sookie put her hands on her hips, a little irritated with their riddles.

"Are you saying that vampires eat fairies?"

"Yes!" Eric and Niall said in unison.

"Oh my! So then how are you both in the same room with each other? And what about me? Is that why you like me so much Eric…because I smell good enough to eat?" The thought made her sad and mad all at the same time.

"I can suppress my essence around people. It comes in handy when dealing with these guys," Niall said nodding his head in the direction of Eric. "And I think that your scent and blood are diluted enough that Eric surely only admires you for your beauty. It's your essential spark that attracts everyone to you, not the actual fairy smell or you wouldn't be standing here right now," Niall explained.

Sookie wasn't so sure about that. And she had no idea what the heck an essential spark was.

While she made herself a sandwich, she inquired about her brother. "So what about Jason? Why aren't you worried about Jason like you are me?"

"Well, like I said, you have the essential spark. In him, our blood has only manifested the ability to attract lovers," Niall smirked again at Eric, "and although that is great for him, it is not enough for him to realize and appreciate the connection we will and do share."

Sookie wasn't really sure what he meant by that, but she filed that away for later consideration.

"Since we are on the subject of lovers," Niall paused to get both their attention, "I can smell that you have had Eric's blood and recently. Tell me about this."

Sookie was ready to crawl under something and hide. Her face was so red that it felt like it would burst into flames any second.

Thank god for Eric. "Well, there was an incident earlier this evening and Sookie was hurt badly enough that I gave her some of my blood to heal her. That is all." He discreetly left out all the other gory details. Sookie definitely owed him one for that.

But Niall got upset. "What do you mean she was hurt? Viking, I asked you to protect her, not throw her into the den!" His eyes glowed a little and they both could feel some energy gathering around the room.

Then suddenly Niall and Eric felt another burst of energy. Immediately Niall stopped and looked straight at Sookie. "My child!"

"Don't you dare yell at Eric for anything! He has done the best he could so far. I mean for godsake, he's a vampire…an important vampire at that and you've stuck him with a twenty-four year old human virgin…well excuse me part fairy _princess_ and human… to babysit. What do you expect?!"

Sookie didn't realize she had done it again. Just like what she done earlier with Bill. She somehow had harnessed the emotions in the room and used them to her own advantage. This time to stand up to a full blooded fairy prince!

Both Eric and Niall were speechless for a second. "It's OK Dear One, it was my fault for not taking further precautions in the conference room earlier," proclaimed Eric. He proceeded to fill Niall in on what took place.

"So you also have the gift of telepathy? How marvelous! However, I don't think that is a fae trait. But interesting all the same," Niall mused.

"Can you get rid of it?" Sookie asked as a long shot.

"Why it's a part of the fabric of your being. I wouldn't want to nor would I be able to do so," Niall was a bit exasperated by her request.

"Thought I'd ask. You know, it's not a gift like everyone keeps saying. And now that I have had Eric's blood it seems like it's only getting worse and not better!" Sookie whined.

Oh no. Maybe she shouldn't have said that out loud because the look Eric gave her meant she had definitely slipped up.

"I'm sure that's not the case dear. Eric is very old and his blood is very powerful. You may find it actually very helpful in the long term, if you happen to take any more of his blood.

"I am heavily invested in an experimental medical research company-- the one that has recently developed synthetic blood. Perhaps you have you heard of it in the news lately? Anyway, they have convinced a few vampires to allow them to perform testing with their blood. It is fascinating what it is capable of," Niall said a bit too wistfully.

It was no surprise that Sookie seemed clueless about the company Niall referred to. She tried not to watch the news too often, because it always just had _bad_ news and no suggestions for ways to help improve anything. Of course Eric had heard of this company. But who would have volunteered to have their blood tested and why would a fairy be so interested in such research?

"Anyway, I need to get going. May I give you a hug Sookie?" Niall popped up from his seat and approached her.

"Sure, great-grandpa," Sookie said with a giggle.

She walked over to him and very tentatively gave him a kiss on the cheek, while he did the same and they embraced in a brief hug. Niall seemed to hold his breath while in such close proximity to her. His skin was soft and as silky as the sheets on Eric's bed. _Definitely not human_, she thought.

Then he stepped away from both of them. They felt that strange crackle of energy and then he was gone… poofed back to where ever he came from.

Sookie turned to Eric to remark on how extraordinary all of this was, but the look on his face maked her hesitate.

Eric closed his eyes as if enjoying something delicious and actually licked his lips. When they open they were dilated in what could only be described as pure lust. He slowly stalked towards her and she responded by pacing her backwards retreat with each step he took forward.

"It appears that he can mask his scent while he's around me, but the scent lingers on your body. You smell of pure fairy, Lover."

"Well snap out of it Eric! You're freaking me out! I don't want to be eaten…especially after everything I've been through lately!" Sookie was still slowly moving backward, while he moved forward. That was until she tripped on something.

She started to fall backwards, but Eric, with his vampire speed, was there to catch her in mid-air. He leaned in and took a deep unnecessary breath, "Your smell is intoxicating all its own, but coupled with the smell of pure fairy, all I want to do is fuck you and bite you and rub myself all over you." And then his mouth was on hers. He picked her up Rhett Butler style and flashed to the bedroom area, tossing her on the bed before he climbed on to it himself.

Before she could catch her breath from the devastating kiss, he was on top of her, with his arms pinned down on either side of her. There was some emotion sparkling in his eyes – she almost thought it was hope?

He leaned down and whispered ever so gently into her ear, "Yield to me, Sookie."

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**A/N:** Ok. So you know its going to happen. I thought about starting it right here, but figured you'd like a full blown chapter of lemony goodness, right? So I'll try to post by the weekend. The rating _**WILL**_ be changed to **M.** Happy New Year to y'all and talk you in 2010! Peace.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, so far. It is very fluffy and my New Year's gift to all of you, who have been patiently waiting for 'M' rated stuff; And for everyone who has read, alerted, reviewed and/or fav'd this story. Your response inspires me and makes me very happy! Thanks! :)

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, that's because it's from Charlaine Harris. In this chap, I borrowed a little from each book that had even a trace of lemon in it. All the grammar errors are mine and mine alone. Let me know if you see something that needs correcting.

* * *

Her heart thudded in her ears. Moreover, the feelings that coursed through her were so intense she could barely form a coherent thought.

"Wh-hat did you just ask?" she moaned.

"Stop fighting me and just give in to your feelings. Let yourself go, I've got you," he murmured into her neck, where he was currently nuzzled, inhaling deeply. It reminded her of how one takes a drag on that first cigarette after having gone without their nicotine fix all day.

His cool lips pressed firmly against hers again, while his tongue lightly traced the shape of her lips, begging for entrance.

Eric's words of biting, fucking and rubbing were tumbling through her jumbled brain, and they had her equal parts burning with desire and scared out of her mind. Not only would this be her first time, but it would also be with a vampire. There were so many unknowns and her fear of them was nearly crippling her.

His hands moved to her hair, winding his long fingers through the wavy strands. He grinded his hardness softly -- but seriously -- against her center, emphasizing what he just said -- what he was going to do to her, if she would just yield. She could not breathe right. Her hands were gripping his arms, pulling him tighter to her, her mouth glued to his, answering his question.

_No, no, no_, she argued with herself. She shook her head, and his mouth moved to her neck, giving her a chance to catch her breath.

While Sookie was battling her own internal demons, so was Eric. He was trying hard to reign in his instinct to devour the fairy laid out before him. _Damn Niall_! The bastard hugged Sookie good-bye, knowing that his scent would be left on her. He was probably testing Eric, to see if he was really worthy of such a task as guarding his great-granddaughter. On the other hand, perhaps he was prodding Sookie a little. He seemed very interested in the fact that Eric had already given her his blood. In addition, it appeared as though he assumed it was during sex. He had even asked for details, causing Sookie to blush a marvelous shade of red…Eric's favorite color.

The thought just spurred him further into action.

His hand curved around her shoulder, moving slowly down her arm, across her ribs and over her waist, tracing along her hip and down her leg, around her knee. He paused briefly, just long enough to place a chaste kiss at the hollow of her throat. Then he slid his hand further down her leg and gently caressed her calf, before curling his large hand around it and suddenly hitching it up around his hip, pressing his hardness further into her.

Sookie panicked as she felt the size of him through their clothes. Nothing about Eric Northman was small and feeling his rock hard manhood against her snapped her out of her lust-filled haze. She needed some questions answered before this went too far.

She shoved against him, trying to push him away. He responded instantly and pulled back a few inches to study her face.

His eyes were completely dilated, black with a fire that simply smoldered. He felt her mood completely shift from a mix of desire and fear to just outright panic, so when she shoved him, he simply stopped.

"What is it, my Sookie?" he whispered, willing the beast inside him to settle down.

"I'm afraid," she simply said. That was all she could manage to squeak out without bursting into tears. She fumbled with reigning in her emotions.

"Of what?" his voice was low and rough.

"You…because you are vampire. Will it be any different than if you were a human man? Not that I have any experience either way, but I'm just afraid that it will be painful or that you'll do something only vampires do, that's not meant to be done to human women…or…I'm not sure! I'm just afraid…of this, of you," she admitted bashfully.

He laughed hard and loud, a proper laugh. "Would you rather I go get Pam? Is that why you are still a virgin?"

"Don't be an ass! You know it is because of my telepathy. Every time I touch a man, all I can hear is how they think I have great boobs or what would I look like naked or any number of sordid things."

"Well, I can't say I blame them or that I'm not thinking the same thing, Lover. But there is no need to be afraid," he promised. "It may hurt a little at first, but trust me that I will make it as pleasurable as possible for you. Being vampire only makes it that much more gratifying. You'll see.

"Have I not pleased you already as a vampire? And it was not so strange, was it?" he gently pushed some hair out of her eyes, so that he could fully take in her beauty, her skin flushed from their kissing and from embarrassment.

She had not known how to approach the subject of what exactly sex with a vampire entailed. The fact that he laughed at her questions embarrassed her even more.

"I'm sorry to be so ignorant, Mr. Master of the Bedroom. How am I supposed to know that you don't do some freaky speed humping or somethin'?! It's not like there are articles in Cosmo about 'How to Please Your Vampire in Bed'!" Sookie pushes harder against Eric's chest, upset that he has ruined the moment by laughing.

"I won't use any of my super-secret vampire moves on you _tonight_ then, Lover," he whispered against her lips, while pulling her in tighter to him.

"But if you want to stop, I'll wait as long as you want." He drew her right hand up to his mouth and placed a kiss in the center of her palm that seemed to have a direct line down to her hootchie. Then he took her hand, brought it down in between them and rubbed it against the large bulge in his pants. "But I may have to ask you a favor in return," he said with a broad grin.

She pushed against him again, yanking her hand away. "You are such a perv! And you really know how to kill a moment, don't you?!"

"Kill? Yes, definitely. However, a moment? I'm not sure I've done that before," and then he flipped himself on his back and pulled her on top of him.

He held her face in his hands, angling it up so that his mouth could reach the pulsing vein of her neck. Sookie's breathing took off like a racehorse out of the starting gates and was almost embarrassingly loud, yet she could not seem to focus enough to care.

She knotted her fingers through his hair, pressing his mouth further into her and wriggled a little into him. His hands slid down her back and slipped under the waistband of her PJ bottoms, where they rested on her bare bottom. _OK, maybe the moment is back on._

He moved his lips slowly up from her throat, along her jaw-line to her cheek, and eventually to that sweet spot, behind her earlobe and back up down again. It sent chills throughout her body while heat coursed through her veins, burning where his lips touched her skin.

She moaned involuntarily and that is when all kidding around went out the window. Eric was no longer playing the game. In reaction to her, a low growl ripped from his mouth and the monster pushed for release.

Their next kiss was a frantic, teeth-clashing grind. Seeming to have six hands at once, he pulled at her hair, tugged at her sweater and underlying cami-top, kissed her too hard, and then tore off his shirt.

"Wait, wait, _wait_," he whispered to himself and he rolled their bodies so that he was once again on top of her, carefully distributing his weight so as to not crush her.

"What?" she mumbled, numbed by the sight of his hard polished chest.

"Let's start this again." He reached and pulled her to him with delicate tenderness. She buried her face in his chest. The special Eric smell with such stupefying, sense-filling impact. Peppery, sweet-spicy, and something unique and indescribable that didn't come from soap or a bottle or from his clothes. A smell that was just him.

With unbearable fragility, he placed a fluttery kiss on the corner of her mouth. As if it were the first time. Then another butterfly kiss. And another. Moving inward slowly, creating pleasure that was almost indistinguishable from pain.

Not moving, barely breathing, she let him administer kisses. Her head was spinning from the lack of oxygen getting to her brain.

Then he moved from her mouth, to her neck, to her hairline. Her eyes closed, she groaned with pleasure. She could die now, she really could. She heard him whisper something in an unfamiliar language, his breath cool on her ear. Reflexively, she trembled and shook.

Eric's cool hands worked her sweater completely off her this time and obediently she stretched out her arms for her cami to be removed as well. Next came her PJ bottoms. She lifted her hips and they came off at vampire speed and were tossed somewhere far away from the bed. The smooth cool sheets poured across the bare skin of her back. Her whole body was quivering, but she lay without moving. When he grazed her nipple with his mouth, she jerked as if she'd had an electric shock.

"You have the most magnificent pair of breasts," Eric whispered, being very careful of his fangs, which were fully down.

She had never been completely naked in front of a man before, not even a doctor. She felt vulnerable and self-conscious. She flushed at his compliment.

He skimmed his hand down her side, tickling her a bit, before it brushed the soft bed of curls that announces her center. He gently swept his knuckles back and forth, creating a bit of friction and pushing her temperature up by at least 10 degrees.

Eric continued to tease each nipple, lightly biting and sucking while he prepared her below. Her hips moved in a circular motion to encourage his hand to move lower into her wetness.

Just as his first finger slid between her folds, he grazed a fang against her areola, drawing a fine line of blood. She bucked her hips up in reaction to the sting and subsequent pleasure as he latched on like and infant seeking its nourishment. In response to her hip movement, his finger slid right into her and began a wonderfully exciting rhythm.

His kisses moved downward-- ever downward—where he stopped and placed a tiny one on her stomach, so gentle it barely lifted the downy little hairs, but managed to flood her with swollen sensation.

She groaned as his mouth continued its descent south and when his tongue reached that very sensitive bundle of nerves, he inserted a second finger and curled it up slightly, sending her into a temporary state of a paralysis of pleasure.

Her ears rang and her vision blurred from the power of her orgasm as it ripped through her. It didn't even phase her that just by using his fingers he had stripped away a bit of the skin that is traditionally taken as the mark of virginity. Eric hoped in combination of the blood she had consumed this evening and some special attention during foreplay, that he would make this as painless as possible for Sookie. For some reason, he wanted her to remember this experience with nothing but pure pleasure versus the nervousness and fear she was feeling a few moments ago. It mattered to him…she mattered to him and he wasn't quite sure why.

Eric continued to pay special attention to her as he replaced his fingers with his mouth and tongue. He would heal her of her slight tear before she even came down from her first orgasm.

Sookie shook and jerked a little at the intense sensitivity of her skin while Eric worked his magic. She couldn't help but spread herself a little more, welcoming each new feeling that he was awakening in her. Obviously, he was touching her in ways, she had never been touched before, doing things she had never even thought of before.

His fingers and tongue enchanted her, coaxing her into yet another overwhelming release. Each of her muscles tensed, her toes curled and she moaned out his name, winding her hand through the sheets, hanging on for dear life. He slid three fingers into her that time and rode out her second orgasm with her, stretching her just a little bit more. But the beast in him was getting anxious. He needed to be inside of her.

Eric kissed his way back up her body as she slowed her breathing back to normal. Covered in a light sheen of sweat and the combination of the fairy smell still lingering on her skin, was making it very hard for him to contain himself. He ripped his jeans off with one swift movement. Then he licked his fingers and kissed her deeply, passionately while placing himself at her entrance.

She reached down and shyly stroked him a little, rubbing his cool head up and down her wet entrance, to get used to the feeling. This elicited a deep growl from Eric. The monster was winning over his self-control.

"Sookie," he moaned against her mouth. "Lover," he groaned, moving to her ear and taking her lobe between his teeth.

Slowly, he pressed himself into her. She felt a pain like nothing she had ever imagined. Mercifully, it only lasted a few seconds, once he was fully encased in her. He held himself still, fighting the beast, with a palpable effort.

Finally, a great peace settled in as she adjusted to his size, stretching to accommodate him. She exhaled long and clean, all tension fleeing. That was the only signal he needed. He began to drive himself into her with long, slow thrusts.

He said something, again in that unfamiliar language and she wondered what he could possibly be saying. After several strokes, he repeated it, looking so tender and sweet…nothing like a vampire ought.

They slid themselves along each other and every touch, every gesture, was inquisitive and serene. Her breath grew shorter, and with gathering speed and desire, they stopped being gentle and became wild and wanton and rough. She dug her nails into his buttocks and he bit her breast. They rolled over each other, welded together as he thrust into her, then she slid tightly down on him.

She moaned, he growled, as each of them built up to a final release. She felt Eric's teeth at her neck just as she was starting her climax. As his fangs penetrated her thin skin, she saw stars, white and gold streaks, flashing before her eyes. She was flying. And then she felt his cold seed spill into her while he drew from the little wounds on her neck, caressing her arms, as if to soothe her, lull her into a comforted, restful state.

Sookie struggled to catch her breath as Eric lazily licked her neck, closing the small holes his fangs had made. He rolled over and pulled her to his side. They laid there for a while not saying anything, trembling from time to time from the little aftershocks of their mutual pleasure.

She traced the lines along his abdomen and placed light kisses along the smooth marble skin, as they lay tangled together, glowing with unity. How could she ever forget this moment – how he tasted, how he smelled, how he felt inside of her for the first time? Not for as long as she lived, she was sure. This had to be _the_ single most pleasurable thing she had ever experienced.

But suddenly Sookie was gripped with uncertainty. _What if he didn't like it? What if he was not satisfied?_ After all, he was a thousand years old. Surely, he had experienced women that are far more skilled. What if, now that he'd slept with her, he treated her different?

He felt her sudden distress and crushed her gently to his chest. "That was magnificent Lover. Thank you for giving me such a gift."

"Really? Was it alright or are you just saying that? I mean, about on par with other women at least? I can get better, with practice…I mean, if you want to, that is.." She was rambling in her insecure daze.

"You can get more skilled, Dear One, but you can't get any better." He kissed the top of her head and all her doubts went away.

She curled herself closer to him, pressing her lips into the indentation over his collarbone. Then she rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, totally content.

He felt her breathing even out and he knew she had fallen asleep. He looked down at her, taking in her curves and soft skin, surveying the 'damage'. She was slumped against him, with her mouth slightly open, perfectly at ease—as if she wasn't in the arms of a dangerous predator.

Watching her there, he flashed on a memory of another lifetime, with another part-fairy girl he'd had the luck of bedding, no thanks to Niall, once again. She wasn't half as beautiful as Sookie and she wasn't quite as lucky once he was finished with her. But, those were different times and these are different circumstances.

In a very human manner, he took a deep breath and sighed. Running his hand over her flaccid body, he hugged her tightly to him, basking in the warmth she radiated. He wondered what it was about her that made everyone act so differently around her. He was certainly affected by whatever magic she held. Almost immediately he began to have feelings for her, on the very night he spotted her leaving Merlotte's. He could have killed Compton just for peeping in on her. _She was his_!

He never felt – anything—not since he was made vampire. But, he felt for her – something, but he wasn't quite sure what that feeling was. Even tonight, he was able to have so much control over his instinct to fuck and feed, despite the intoxicating fairy smell. Eric realized he would never be able to intentionally hurt her…he would always protect her, even at the expense of his own undead existence.

She was so simple and pure. Knowing that he would lay down his life for her, he was devastated.

There was only about two hours left until dawn and he wasn't nearly sated. Shifting her to her back, he rolled to his side and with his large hand, he began to thumb her left nipple. He took the other into his mouth and tongued it until it tighten into a hard point.

In her sleepiness, she simply rolled over on her side, as if to spoon with him. He grabbed her ample hips, shifted her leg slightly to give him access to her hidden treasure and he began to rub. It was amazing how wet she already was for him. She must have been having a _very_ good dream.

"Wake up my little darlin'. I'm not finished with you yet tonight," he whispered in her ear.

She moaned and her eyes fluttered open. She could feel him pressed up against her bottom. "You can't possibly be ready again…" but she didn't get to finish, because she felt the very part in question, the very hard erection, pressed into her back. "Ohhhh…"

"It's time for your next lesson, Lover," he said, as he scanned her naked body, then placed his hands under her and turned her on her stomach. Before he entered her, he waited a moment, almost reverently.

Eric worked himself once, twice, with his hand, then positioned himself accurately at her entrance. Nothing could beat the first thrust into her. He liked to get all the way to the hilt on the first go, shoving through the semi-resistant yielding, straight into head-lifting ecstasy.

His swift entrance elicited a stifled gasp from Sookie, that was midway between pleasure and pain and it spurred him even more. She couldn't help but fall into a rhythm with his long, perfect strokes.

After a short furious shag, they had another slightly less frantic one with her on top. His eyes were intent on hers while his hands went to her breasts, caressing and pinching gently. His mouth followed after his hands and before long, she felt as though she were losing control of the muscles in her legs.

"Slow," he said, guiding her in a reduced pace. His hands found her hips and began to direct her. He used his long thumb to rub her pleasure center and the satisfaction began to seep through her. Every time she tried to speed up, he would slow her down, until finally she brushed his hands aside and closed her eyes, just going for it.

As she rose faster and faster, he yelled out, "Bite me!" and he meant it literally.

"What, why?" she asked a little breathlessly.

"Because it feels good. Just…for that," he replied.

So she grabbed a hold of his wrist and just as she was about to cum, she bit with all her strength, sucking on the wound as she rode out her wave of pleasure.

He yelped out something incoherent, a sound of release and relief, finishing them both off in a spent heap of flesh.

"Perfect," he said. "Perfect."

"Yes, you are," she said with a little giggle.

He chuckled too. "It's close to dawn, Lover. I need to head to my daytime resting place and since I have yet to arrange daytime guards for you, I think it would be safest if you came with me."

The thought of sleeping with him again excited her, but scared her all the same.

"You won't forget I'm with you and try to rip my throat out again, will you?" she asked, her concern quite valid.

"I won't now that I know what you'll be up to while I am dead to the world," he teased her.

"I promise I won't do anything you wouldn't want me to," she countered.

They quickly got up, cleaned up and Sookie put her pajama's back on. She wasn't sure where Pam was keeping her clothes, but at least she would be comfortable until the following evening.

As they made their descent to his 'bat cave', that's how Sookie thought of it, she asked, "Why is it so complex to get there?"

"In simple terms, to keep those who would do me harm, out," he explained.

First, one had to know which flight of stairs to go down and then which level to get off. Most of the doors required some type of access key and then there was the open elevator shaft that you needed to have the ability to fly, in order to land without dying. There was that long, dark open space area, where either you had to have special night vision equipment to see with or you had to be some type of Supe with great night vision. He called it 'layered security'. Each layer had to be penetrated in order to gain access and the idea that someone would want to spend the time trying to get past each one, let alone successfully do so, was absurd. So, in a nutshell, they were perfectly safe and secure during the day.

"So once I have daytime guards, you'll have me sleeping upstairs by myself?" Sookie was a bit sad at that thought. She didn't understand why. This was only her second night with Eric, but already she felt bound to him somehow.

"Well, it will be an option for you, anyway," Eric smiled into the dark. He could feel her sadness at the thought of being without him and it made him happy. And having this emotion made him smile, in spite of himself.

"I'm sure there will be days that you'll want to be out in the sunshine. Your fae heritage almost requires it, being that they are of the sky. Besides, your lovely tan would fade eventually and you are human after all. You need to eat, to keep up your strength, especially if I will be feeding from you regularly," he said showing a little fang. They walked through the door to his room and settled down for the day.

With Sookie curled into his side, she drifted off to sleep considering what he had just told her regarding her fae lineage. She made a mental note to ask him more about Niall and Eric's dealings with him. She was curious about her newfound family and the important role he played in everything, up until now. The thought of family made her happy. _Eric_ made her happy.

Eric was thinking over this whole feelings issue, as he drifted into his daytime rest. Determined to find out as much as he could, he resolved to find out just how 'special' Sookie and her talents really were. Potentially, She could not only be a great asset to him, but perhaps even a mate or child, later on, after this threat with Niall has been taken care of. _Would Niall allow him to keep Sookie after this was all over?_ In all his existence, he had yet to have a true mate, one that he chose, unlike his human wife, who had been his elder brother's until he was killed in battle.

The thought _excited_ him.

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**A/N:** So…was it good for you? Let me know your thoughts! And _**thank you**_ for reading!! I wish you all a healthy, prosperous New Year.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Thank you once again for everyone's response to this story. It's exciting and you all inspire me! Also thanks to VampLover1 for setting me straight on the proper use of tense. I hope I improved a little in this go around.

**Disclaimer:** See any of the previous chapters. References from All Together Dead are contained in this story. No ownership there either. I do however own any mistakes you may find.

* * *

Sookie awoke, startled from a dream she had been enjoying. _She was lying on a beach, in a very tiny bikini, tanning herself as the hypnotizing sound of the surf crashed around her. The only downside was that the sun was so bright, overhead. It seemed to be leaking right through her sunglasses, burning her eyelids. _

At first, she didn't want to open her eyes, she was too content curled in bed. If only the sun wasn't so bright. She thought she was back home at her family's old farmhouse, and reminded herself to purchase new window shades the next time she went to Walmart, but when she shifted and felt the cool hard body next to her, she remembered where she was. That's when she panicked.

She never asked Eric about the whole sunlight thing, but most of the old vampire legends said vampires burst into flames or melted or did other really bad, finally dead things when they were exposed to daytime sun. She bolted upright and then swiftly out of bed, faster than she had moved her whole life and in the process, nearly lost her balance as her head spun from the speed. _Woo_.

She looked around and then up. It was the recessed lighting in the ceiling that Eric left on for her, causing the problem. They were so radiant, their intensity was blinding. She was sure that he had not changed the setting of them since yesterday. In fact, when he turned them on, there appeared to be only one setting and that was dim…very dim…more like a nightlight. _What in the world_?

She crawled back into bed and snuggled back up to her Viking pillow, pulling the fur covers over her head to block out the brightness. Nevertheless, once her head was covered, she noticed another light source…her! _She_ was glowing—honest to god glowing! And not in the post-coital, losing your virginity kind of glow. Like lightning bug, firefly kind of glow. '_Omigod_,' she thought, '_I'm glowing like a vampire! Omigod, Omigod, Omigod'_

She threw the covers off, jumped back out of bed, and ran into the bathroom. She shut the door without turning the light on in there. _Yep, definitely glowing_. Was it possible that by drinking Eric's blood that she was now vampire too? '_Seems like he would have told me that,_' she thought.

What else had he failed to mention? She started thinking back to the evening and all she could remember was how he told her that not only did his saliva heal small wounds, but their blood could heal just about anything. Even Niall had mentioned that his medical research company actually tested vampire blood, to find out what its capabilities were. He knew somehow that Sookie had indeed ingested some of Eric's blood and neither said anything about it being a catalyst for turning vampire. _So, there must be some other explanation._

Reaching this conclusion, her anxiety eased a little. She took off her sweater and stared at the bare skin of her arms, turning it and twisting it, observing the odd luminescence. Her mind drifted to other memories of last night, including what this very skin was doing not so many hours ago. She flushed a little, embarrassed at everything she did with Eric. She felt so good, it _all_ felt so good. Best and right somehow. Finally, she was a woman, after all these years, no longer feeling like little Crazy Sookie. If only Arlene and Holly could see her now!

Thinking of Arlene made her mind shift to how many times that woman had come to work thinking of her latest conquest and how glad she was to have thought to grab that box of condoms at the gas station, while on her way home. Or the times she was worried that the broken condom might mean she was pregnant, again.

Wait! Condom…pregnant…Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! Eric hadn't used a condom last night. Not only that, but he has been with god knows how many women in his existence! Could he get her pregnant? Her mind spun on images of a vampire baby, latching on to her breast just as Eric had done. _Good God!_

Then there was the other possibility…something even worse. Could she have caught some nasty venereal disease? Between drinking Eric's blood and having unprotected sex with him, she really had gotten herself into a fine mess! Why had she not considered all of this before she jumped into bed with him? This behavior was so unlike her. In fact, everything she had done lately was really unlike her. She never trusted anyone, other than her Gran, the way she trusted Eric. It was like she was under the influence of some pleasure inducing drug.

A wave of nausea ripped through her, threatening to knock her on her ass. She grabbed onto the sink to steady herself. She had no idea what time it was and she needed answers now or she was going to go crazy! _Why were there no clocks around this effin' place?! _

The subject of time triggered another panic. She was due back at work today, after her two day break. She couldn't recall if it was the lunch or dinner shift she was scheduled for. Last night, Chow had mentioned Sam called Eric, looking for her. She had even requested she talk to Sam about her situation. She really needed a phone down here, dammit! She needed to talk to Sam, someone, anyone before she went insane! The walls were closing in and the feeling of being a prisoner really hit her. That's what she was, wasn't she? _A prisoner to some weird little game that Niall and Eric were playing with my life._

After some deep breaths and a few splashes of water on her face, she focused the anger she felt over this whole situation into action. She left the bathroom and crawled back onto the bed. The thought was, maybe she could wake Eric up somehow and just get him to answer all her questions.

With two fingers, she jabbed him in the ribs a couple of times. That always seemed to get to her brother, when she tried it on him, for whatever reason…bugging her, being a jerk, thinking deliberate obnoxious thoughts around her. Alas, Eric didn't budge. Next, she tried pulling his hair. Girls always hated getting their hair pulled and his was so long, she figured it might have the same effect, but she got no response.

Several minutes later (or maybe, it was even hours for all she knew), Sookie gave up on the idea that she could wake Eric from his daytime rest. Add that to the list of questions she had growing in her head—What exactly did it take to make his super-sensitive, _I'm in trouble_, radar go off? After all, he told her that if he felt he was in extreme danger, he could wake, but it wouldn't be pretty.

She thought of several ways she could try to provoke _that_ instinct, but then chickened out after reliving the very scary incident last evening, when he mistook her for an assassin or whatever he thought she was and nearly ripped out her throat.

Sleep must have won out at some point, because her next conscious thought was the wonderful feeling she had between her legs. Her muscles felt like jello and she was tingly all over.

Eric had woken up to find Sookie lying across his chest. Thoughts of last night swam through his mind and made him instantly hard, coupled with the lingering scent of fairy and her own special smell, he was hungry and horny.

He decided he would wake her up with a little special treat. Careful not to rouse her prematurely, he used his vampire speed and considerable skill, to position her enough to slide her bottoms off while spreading her legs, granting him full access to her vertical smile.

He gave her a full lick, from end to end, testing her readiness, before sliding two fingers into her core. Slowly, he slid them in and out, twisting and crooking them up to find her sweet spot. His long thumb massaged her nub in time with his fingers. He used his free hand to stroke himself in the process.

As she neared her release, she began to stir. A slow easy smile spread across her face and one of her hands subconsciously moved to her breast, to squeeze her nipple. Observing her so carefree nearly made Eric come undone, but he steadied himself, waiting for her to become fully alert before making his next move.

A slight moan escaped her mouth, her legs spread a little bit more, opening herself to him. And then her eyes snapped open.

"Hells bells, Eric! What are you doing to me?" she cried out, while trying to remove his hand, unsuccessfully.

"Nothing you probably didn't do to me while I was resting, Lover," Eric replied with his half smirk smile.

It was too late for her. Her body had already reached her breaking point and she bellowed out a guttural moan as she came, its intensity surprising her, considering how much anger and stress she had built up inside her.

Eric came at the same time, catching his load with Sookie's PJ bottoms. But he wasn't nearly sated. And now that she was awake, he would have her for real this time.

He slowly removed his fingers giving a final twist on their way out, that made her body jerk with an aftershock. Locking eyes with her, he sucked the remaining juices off his fingers and then quickly moved to position his body over hers. Just as his mouth was mere centimeters from hers, she reached out and slapped him and then shoved at his chest, yelling, "Get off me you big jerk!"

Completely shocked by her reaction, Eric answers, "What has gotten into you, woman?!"

"You have gotten into me!" she screams, poking him in the chest.

"Several times. And I'd like to some more, if you'd stop fighting me," Eric replied, with that Cheshire cat grin of his.

"I've been going crazy for the last several hours, worried that I have turned into a vampire because I'm glowing like a glow stick and the lights are way too bright in here suddenly.

"I think I might be pregnant with some freaky half vampire, half fairy love child or that I'm going to die of some sex disease, all because you didn't wear a condom," poke, poke with her finger.

"And now I'm either going to be late for work or already missed my shift because I have no idea what effin' time it is!

"_Why_ are there no clocks around here?

"_Why_ am I trapped in here with you?

"_Why_ can't you at least have a refrigerator down here, so that I can have something to eat or drink, while you are asleep or whatever it is you do?! I'm a freakin' prisoner!!" she sobbed as she finished her rant.

Hiding his amusement as much as possible, he pulled her into him tightly, hugging her so she would calm down and stop trying to hit him. He was humored because she had the nerve to not only yell but lash out physically with her anger, at a 1000 year old vampire. And the fact that she was concerned about the shifter and her job. But what really got him to almost chuckle out loud was her description of a love child.

"Dear One, calm down," he chortled. "First, you are not turning into a vampire. That would require me to nearly drain you dry and then replace your blood by forcing my own down your throat. Then you'd have to lay resting for at least 48 hours or up to three days before finally rising as one of the undead," he explained, stroking her back, in an effort to keep her from whacking him again.

"What you are experiencing is just some temporary side effects from ingesting my blood. No more, I swear it. You'll feel stronger and might not even feel very hungry, along with the unfortunate glow and sensitivity to light. You will also have an increase in sex drive, especially towards me and you'll appear more attractive to other vampires, as if that were not a problem already."

He kisses the top of her head before continuing. "Next, I cannot impregnate you nor pass on any sexually transmitted disease…or any disease for that matter. We are immune to disease. Does that make you feel better, knowing that we cannot procreate, Lover?"

For some reason, hearing that out loud, Sookie wasn't so sure that it did make her feel better. She was very attached to Eric emotionally and she had always wanted to be a mother some day. Learning that it was not a possibility with him, made her feel sad and deflated most of her anger. She went limp in his arms.

Eric sensed her sadness, but instead of addressing it, he moved on to her other concerns. "As for the shifter, your boss, he has been notified of your absence and a qualified person has been sent as your replacement for the time being."

"Wait, what did you just call Sam? A shifter? What's that mean?" Sookie asked, wiping the tears from her face and snuggling a little closer to Eric's chest. Listening to his deep timbered voice vibrating in his chest nearly soothed her into forgetting just about everything that had upset her earlier.

"He is a shape shifter. He can shift into any shape of animal he wants, usually around a full moon. Although I'm sure he can do so whenever he wants, he is compelled to do so around the lunar cycle. Didn't you know? Couldn't you see that from his mind?" Eric was curious now.

"That's crazy! No…no, I couldn't see that. I mean, his brain always seemed a little fuzzy to me, but being my boss, I tried to stay out of his head as much as possible anyway. Does that mean he isn't entirely human?" Sookie couldn't believe Sam was a Supe and he never said anything. He knew about her 'condition' but didn't trust her enough to tell her about himself? She was hurt.

"Most Supe's have some sort of magic in them, I guess that makes them not entirely human, by definition. But I am not medical expert. Besides, look at yourself. You aren't entirely human either…my fairy princess," he whispers, his lips barely grazing her ear and his cool breath sending a chill down her spine.

"Now to your other questions: You are not a prisoner, merely my guest, in protective custody, until your Great-grandfather gives us the all clear for you to be released.

"And tonight I will be sure to make arrangements for you to have daytime guards. This way you are free to sleep upstairs in the Penthouse and resume a somewhat 'normal' life, complete with a clock and refrigerator stuffed with any food your heart desires. I simply have no need for these items and I certainly had not planned on company down here that required such things, thus their lack of existence in this space.

"So you planned on company…just not human company?" Sookie asked a bit jealous of the thought of him having other companions down here with him.

"No guests, period, down here. I do not share my resting place with anyone…well until now," Eric said, pausing to consider what he just said.

"Anything else or can I safely assume you will no longer try and beat me?" he gave a hearty chuckle this time. "Because I am hungry and _exceptionally_ aroused. There is a delicious fairy waiting to be consumed, in my very arms and I would like to satisfy those needs before moving on with my busy evening."

The thought of being 'consumed' by him was both tantalizing and terrifying. And knowing that she was not vampire or pregnant with one, improved her mood considerably. "So, before you get carried away, how much blood of mine will you actually take? I mean, I don't mind donating to a great cause," she smiled shyly, "but I believe I need most of it to functional normally."

Again, he laughed at her ignorance of all things Supe-- it was refreshing and very charming. "I won't take very much. Because I am so old, I really only need a sip or two each night. I may take a little more than I need, because you taste so delectable, but I will never take so much that you will be harmed." He absently licked his lips at his answer.

"Think of it as donating blood at a blood bank. You can give blood every 50 days or so and they take about a pint each time. I'm merely taking a couple of tablespoons."

"And how many tablespoons are in a pint?" Sookie asked with a giggle.

"About 32 and by the time I've reached that amount, you'll have already made more," Eric placed kisses along her jaw and growling a little in anticipation.

Sookie placed her hands on Eric's chest and shifted her body so she was straddling him. She gave him a little pushed and he laid down on his back.

"I like this position," Sookie said, blushing a little at her own boldness. Eric flashed her a fangy grin and put his hands behind his head.

"Do your worst, woman."

After being completely consumed by each other and donating at least two tablespoons from both her neck and thigh, Sookie and Eric made their way upstairs to shower and dress.

Pam or someone had been thoughtful enough to leave clothes out for Sookie on her now completely made up bed. It embarrassed her a little to think that someone had been in here and had seen the obviously rumpled linens and remnants of Eric's clothes lying around.

While they were getting dressed, Sookie asked, "Before you leave for your Sheriff duties, I wanted to ask you some more questions. This time about Niall and fairies in general. What do you know about both?"

Eric came out of the bathroom, carrying his boots and walked over and sat on the loveseat. "Well, I've known Niall for several centuries. He's nearly as old as I am," he started, pulling on his shoes. "He is very powerful, very magical as far as fairies are concerned. You are fortunate that he has taken interest in you, apart from his enemies wanting to kill you," he quirked that crooked smile Sookie loved. _Wait, loved_? She'd think on that one later.

"Anyway, all fairies, both male and female are very beautiful. Each has their own magic skill and they are very hard to kill. They are sensitive to iron and lemons, as Niall told you, but they are not immortal, so even though they live a long time, unlike vampires, they eventually do die of old age. In fact, Niall is very old, even for a fairy. I wouldn't expect him to be around too much longer," Eric stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said as he stood, straightening his clothes. "Niall has relations living in Monroe. Triplets. I believe they are his grandchildren, which would make them your cousins. Niall didn't really want too many fairies knowing of your existence, but I'll have someone look into them and see if any of them are trust worthy enough, to let them in on the little secret. They would be great daytime protection for you and could fill you in a little better on fae history."

Sookie absorbed all the information Eric had just relayed. It seemed he intentionally left out some detail on how he actually knew Niall, which was interesting. She went to the kitchen to make something to eat and make some coffee to clear her head.

Eric headed towards the foyer, on his way down to the meeting room floor. "Thanks for taking the time to answer _all_ of my questions tonight, Eric. I know you are busy. If you could find out if any of my cousins would come to talk to me at least, I'd be grateful," Sookie said, trying to impress upon Eric how much she really wanted to meet them and find out more. She was also implying that she knew he had left some stuff out. Her instincts were screaming to her that there was _much more_ to learn about both the fae and _his_ link to them.

Before she could blink, he was in front of her. He took her chin between his thumb and pointer finger, "How grateful would you be, Lover?" he growled.

Sookie swallowed hard and looked into his steel blue eyes. His eyebrow was arched, as either a challenge or an expectation. "I'm not sure what you mean. But I would do whatever I could to return the favor, I suppose," her stomach flipped in nervousness, "…within reason, that is," she added quickly.

He kissed her hard on the mouth and then flashed back to the foyer. "I'll hold you to that one, Dear One." And then he was gone.

Sookie felt a chill run down her spine and she shivered at his words. He had this uncanny ability to excite her and scare her all at the same time.

As Eric stepped off the elevator, he noticed the lack of people waiting to see him this evening. Chow was waiting in the conference room with a blank expression on his face, which meant something must be up.

"Good evening Chow, what's on the agenda for this evening?" Eric asked expectantly. "I was under the impression that we had several things to accomplish this evening, yet no one is here." He walked over to his throne like leather chair and sat gracefully, for such a large specimen.

"Well, that was before the Queen called and demanded that we make haste to her palace. I'm sure it has something to do with Compton and what went down last night with your little pet."

"Sookie is NOT my pet! Fuck!" Eric roared. He knew Compton would make his way to the Queen. In fact, he willed it or else Compton would be finally dead right now. He didn't like that Chow called Sookie his pet, because if Chow thought that way, so did everyone else and having a pet, made Eric look weak.

"Did she say anything else?" Eric tented his fingers, planning his next moves.

"She was annoyed that you weren't available to take her call," Chow smirked, knowing full well what had kept the Sheriff from arriving on time. "And she said to bring the girl with you." There it was…the answer he was seeking. So, indeed Compton was in Bon Temps to get to Sookie and now the Queen expects Eric to just deliver her and do what…leave? _Not a chance_.

"Get Pam and Maxwell Lee. They'll accompany Sookie and me. You need to stay here and await my instructions, as well as handle any other matters that might come up while we are gone. I do not anticipate being there too long, but I need you here, just in case.

"See if you can charter a flight for us. Otherwise, it will take us half the night to get there with Sookie. I would fly her myself, but I don't think it would be a pleasant experience and I am unsure what the Queen is up to just yet, but I have my suspicions.

"I'm going to get my weapons. Make sure Pam and Maxwell Lee do the same and have them meet us downstairs in 10 minutes," Eric ordered, getting up from his seat and flying out the door.

Eric arrived upstairs to find Sookie staring out the windows at the city skyline. "Dear One," he whispered in her ear.

"Jesus Christ…Shepherd of Judea, Eric! Don't do that!" she screamed, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. She turned and hit him on the chest, which had the same effect as a fly hitting a window—it hurts the fly more than the window.

Eric just chuckled at her reaction. "Why do you keep hitting me tonight?" rubbing the spot on his chest, as if she had hurt him.

"I figured you heard the elevator. You must have been in deep thought," he said, stroking her hair from the top of her head down to her back. It was such an affectionate gesture that it startled him a bit and he immediately removed his hand, as if he touched something too hot.

Both actions did not go unnoticed by Sookie. "So, you weren't gone long, miss me already?" she laughed, obviously over being startled. Her emotions were all over the place. _Another side effect from the blood?_

"We have been summoned by the Queen. We must leave immediately. Pam and Maxwell Lee, one of my trusted advisor's, will be meeting us downstairs in 10 minutes. Get yourself together and I'll be back to get you," Eric turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Sookie asked.

Eric looked over his shoulder at her, fangs down, "To get my weapons." He immediately felt her panic. "Don't be alarmed, Dear One. It's strictly for precaution."

"Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before!" Sookie huffed and went in search of her shoes.

When Eric returned, sword strapped to his back, he found Sookie pacing, in front of the windows again. This time she heard his arrival and rushed over to him. "What does she want with me, Eric? What will happen when we get there?" Her eyes were wild with worry.

He grabbed her by the hand and led her back to the elevator. He gathered her in to a tight embrace, as the doors slid shut and they started sailing south. "Relax, Lover. We will discuss strategy on the plane. For now, know that I will not let anything happen to you." And in that moment he knew he would do anything to keep her safe – _Anything_.

Once they were all settled on the plane and introductions between Maxwell Lee and Sookie had been made, the three vampires started discussing strategy. If Eric was anything, he was a planner and an excellent strategist. He was also an eternal optimist. After living a millennia, he tended to have extreme confidence in his ability to stay alive and keep those around him so, too.

The basic plan was to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. Pam and Maxwell Lee had no idea of Sookie's heritage, so that was a plus. Pam knew of Sookie's little talents, but Eric was sure that this was the reason why the Queen wanted Sookie anyway, so that information meant little.

They would meet with the Queen, listen to her demands and then make a decision on the best course of action. They agreed there were several paths Sophie-Anne might take, so they mapped out a solution for each one and even some that she may not have considered.

The plane ride was just about an hour and with a short car ride from the airport, they were at the Queen's palace.

The palace consisted of about three city blocks from the edge of the French Quarter. Her offices/living quarters appeared outwardly as an office complex, much like Eric's, only not as tall. But on the inside, it was nothing like an office complex, with long hallways and unmarked doors. Security was high, but only visible to those privy of the fact that this was indeed the "Vampire Headquarters" of Louisiana.

Their entourage was met at the main hall by a small group of guards. They made Eric take off his sword and they searched Sookie for silver. Another fact Eric had failed to mention to her…vampires were sensitive to silver in the same way iron affected the fae.

From there, they were escorted to the other side of the building and handed off to another contingent. "You must be the Stackhouse woman," a very handsome middle-eastern looking vampire commented.

Eric just looked at her and shook his head no. Sookie took that as a sign not to answer anyone's questions.

Once they reached the other side, they were handed off once again to another set of guards, who walked them up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway to a set of ornately carved French doors. One of the guards ordered them to stay there for a moment, while the other went inside, apparently to announce their arrival. Eric whispered to Sookie, "Don't say anything unless I give you a signal that it's OK. Do you understand?"

Sookie rolled her eyes in response. He was giving her commands as if she were a prized dog at the American Kennel Club show and that irritated her.

When the guard returned, they were all escorted into a room that looked no different from any executive's office, anywhere in the world. A young female vampire, dressed in a very elaborate pant suit, makeup and jewelry sat next to an equally young male vampire, who was dressed impeccably in a designer suit, perfectly coifed hair and manicured hands. They were seated at a round table with papers scattered all around it. The male one instantly brought to mind the word 'metrosexual'.

As Eric guided her towards the table, she took in her surroundings. In either corner of the room, stood two giant vampires, who were obviously guards and directly behind the two seated vampires, was another set of elaborately carved double-doors.

At the half circle points, on either end, were Sookie's cousin Hadley and Bill Compton, both wearing identical cold expressions on their faces. Sookie assumed that the couple before her must be the Queen and her advisor, like Chow was to Eric.

Once she reached the chair, the Queen motioned for Sookie to take the seat. Eric squeezed her shoulder, causing her to glance up at him. He was bowing his head slightly to the seated vampires. She looked to her right and noticed Pam and Maxwell Lee do the same and figured he must be signaling her to do the same. But, she refused. She was an American and American's didn't bow to anybody.

"Ah, so you are the infamous Sookie Stackhouse," the young vampire said to Sookie. "I am Sophie-Anne and this is Andre, my child and second-in-command. And of course you recognize your cousin and Mr. Compton?"

Sookie nodded, afraid to speak just yet for fear she would either starting yelling or crying. She dared not look away from the Queen.

"Your cousin Hadley has told us much about your talent, Sookie. I would very much like you to join me here, in my court, to become my personal telepath. You will be a great asset to us, as the Great Revelation approaches."

Eric growled menacingly, but remained standing beside Sookie and never taking his eyes from the Queen, either.

"Obviously you have some objection to this Sheriff Northman?" Sophie-Anne asked Eric.

"She is MINE," Eric replied.

Sookie stiffened at his response. It reminded her of Bill's question in the hallway. What exactly did that mean? She was nobody's!

"Is this true, Miss Stackhouse? Are you _his_?" the Queen sneered the word 'his'.

Sookie didn't know what to say and took a chance at breaking her gaze with the Queen to look up at Eric. He arched is eyebrow and nodded once quickly. "Ummm, I'm not sure exactly what that means…your…your majesty?" unsure of how to address her.

"But we have exchanged blood, so if that's what it means, then, yes, I am his." Sookie held her chin up in a defiant manner and stole a quick glance over at Bill, who's expression had turned even colder than before, if that were possible.

Eric was pissed at Sookie's response. All she had to say was yes, but of course she had to make it a Sookie answer. He tightened his hand a little on her shoulder, making her wince. There was a brief silence, while everyone waited for the Queen's response. Eric was cringing at what Pam would say later, let alone the Queen.

"Are you attempting to bond with this one, Eric? It's so unlike you, to even grace your presence with a human for more than a fuck and feed," the Queen responded.

Fuck. Not the response he wanted from Sophie-Anne. He really felt Sookie's anger now. "She is a valued asset to my area and indeed will come in handy, interviewing the humans as we approach the Revelation. A bond would help me keep track of her and know if what she reports is the truth." He glanced at Sookie, to gauge her reaction.

"Very smart of you Northman. But, she is my discovery and therefore she will stay with me. Of course, you will be compensated for your loss and you may even borrow her from time to time, if there is opportunity with my schedule. Andre, take Sookie and Hadley to my chambers, while I discuss details with Northman," the Queen ordered.

Sookie looked up at Eric, pleadingly. She did not want to go anywhere with that creep, especially to someone's 'chambers'. She did have a few things she'd like to say to Hadley, but they weren't kind things. And what in the hell was this 'Great Revelation'?

"My Queen, I must insist that Sookie remain with me. She is mine and we've already started the bonding process. If you are in need of her services, I'm sure we can make some arrangement, as you suggested." Eric was trying to tactfully negotiate while Sookie's agitation was coursing through him.

Andre was immediately by Sookie's side, prepared to yank her from her chair. Eric couldn't stand Andre and knew his loyalty to the Queen was devout. "May I suggest you give the cousins time to get reacquainted while you negotiate?" Andre leered. Surely that was a diversion on his part, but how could anyone deny such a request?

Sophie-Anne gave a near imperceptible nod to Andre and he, Sookie and Hadley were out the doors behind the Queen before Sookie could say 'I'm so screwed'.

Queen Sophie-Anne couldn't believe she had outsmarted the Viking and did so almost effortlessly. The Fairy Prince had been so confident in his choice of protector over his precious Sookie Stackhouse and actually made the Queen promise she assisted Eric in anything he needed, in order to do so. It was by pure luck that she had discovered Hadley in a drug-induced stupor in an alleyway not far from her headquarters.

Once Hadley started talking and the connection was made between her and the girl Niall had approached Sophie-Anne about, she and Andre had devised a plan, using Bill Compton as an emissary to get Sookie here and under their protection. It was as if the planets had aligned for her. _Besides__, who better to protect a silly human, than a Queen_, Sophie-Anne had thought at the time. She couldn't imagine what all the fuss was over this girl anyway. She didn't look like anything special and from what Hadley had told her, Sookie could only read _human_ minds. Certainly, that ability would come in handy once the Revelation occurred, but it would be much better if she could read other Supe minds as well.

Having her under her guard meant a nice bargaining chip to have with the Prince. It was a win-win. Except for the Viking. Niall was bound to punish him severely for this. Sophie-Anne had a soft spot for him, even if she was about to screw him over herself. It was nothing personal.

The Queen was interrupted from her ruminations when everyone heard Sookie scream. Eric immediately sprung through the doors Andre had gone through and followed the sense of panic coming from her. The scream was definitely hers and combined with the feeling of panic he was feeling, she was most definitely in trouble.

After knocking down several doors, he finally found her pressed up against a wall with Andre's bloody wrist being held to her mouth. "You will drink from me," he heard Andre command. He was obviously trying to glamour her, not knowing that didn't work on her, especially now that Eric's blood had made her so much stronger. Then he felt a small swirl of energy, which he recognized immediately as her attempt at focusing the emotional charges around her.

"Get off of me you creep!" Sookie yelled back in Andre's face and she shoved him. To her credit, he actually was forced back several feet. But she was taking a chance with this move. Andre was much older than even Eric and therefore much stronger.

Eric approached them carefully. He didn't want to provoke Andre into doing anything rash. "Is everything alright, Sookie?" Eric prompted, surprising both of them with his presence.

"Well, actually no Eric. Everything is not OK. Andre, here thinks it would be swell if I drank his blood so that I become 'bound' to the Queen! Whatever the hell that means," she rattled out, obviously perturbed by her circumstances. She actually reminded Eric of a petulant child, the way she was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest and the angry look she had on her face. She didn't seem frightened in the least, now that Eric had arrived on the scene.

In fact, the minute he had shown up in the hallway, Sookie felt an unknown sense of calm and confidence wash over her. It was what gave her the extra strength to get Andre off her.

Now that she realized Eric was there, she thought maybe, somehow the feeling had come from him. It felt strange to her that she even could rationalize all of this while they were standing there in a very precarious situation. Nevertheless, as soon as she thought it, she knew it to be true. They somehow shared this strange connection and she certainly wasn't going to let this boy, this creepy Andre do anything to break that tie.

"Andre, if you are looking to preserve Sookie's loyalty, why don't you let her drink from me. It will be our third exchange and in fact, we are lovers. I am already loyal to Sophie-Anne and Sookie will be more than happy to assist the Queen in her endeavors, but only if they are under her terms. If you force something upon her, we'll never be quite sure of the quality of information we receive," Eric said bowing his head in deference to Andre. The fact that Eric was being so careful, made Sookie dislike Andre even more and it caused her fear to slowly creep back into her consciousness.

While Andre thought this over, Eric came and stood slightly in front of Sookie. "You have always been a trusty ally Eric, quite loyal to Sophie-Anne as I recall. And if you've already exchanged blood with Sookie several times, your tie should be quite strong. Does she answer well to your call?" Andre asked.

_What the hell is it with vampires and their comparisons of animals to humans_, Sookie thought. She was _not_ a freakin' Collie.

"Yes, she heals nicely," Eric replied without revealing any emotion on his face. Sookie however, was reeling inside and Eric could sense her mood shift back to anger. He willed with all his mind power to keep her quiet, while things were going their way.

"Well then, I'll allow it, if the result is the same," Andre said, rolling his hand in a get on with it fashion.

"Right here? Could we go some where more private?" Eric pressed, taking a chance.

"Here and now. I want to make sure it is done," Andre said, not compromising any more.

Eric turned to Sookie with an apologetic expression on his face. "Sookie," Eric said, trying to express that this was their best way out of this situation. He placed his arms on either side of her head, in an attempt to at least block Andre from getting a full view of their very personal moment.

"No sex, Eric. Please, I can't do that. Not in front of him," Sookie whispered, nodding her head in Andre's direction. Eric smile slightly, but its intent was more to acknowledge her request than to convey any humor.

He leaned into her neck and took a deep inhale. He wrapped one arm around her back, licking the spot where her vein was pulsing erratically in her neck. She tilted her head to the side, signaling that she was willing to go through with this and wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him in tightly to her. She didn't think she could stand if she wasn't hanging on, she was so nervous.

Without warning, Eric bit down and Sookie couldn't help but gasp out in pain. The bite definitely didn't feel like the ones she had experienced with Eric before. Oddly, he didn't even flinch when she acknowledged the pain, in fact, it seemed to spur him on as he drank deeply from the wounds. Just when she thought she would pass out from the intensity of it all, he pulled away, licking the two small holes closed.

"Your turn," Eric whispered in her right ear. "Where would you like to take it from, Lover?" God bless him, he was trying to make a joke during a time when it was anything but funny. She managed to crack a bit of a smile, but it was forced.

Eric quickly pulled out a hidden knife that had apparently been somewhere in his waistband and ripped open his shirt, revealing his perfectly toned chest. In a movement imperceptible to Sookie, he had sliced an opening on his left pectoral, just below his nipple. "_Now_ Sookie," he commanded, taking the back of her head and guiding it to his chest.

She began to drink from him, at first unsteadily, but when Eric moaned, she got into it a little and pulled him closer, grinding some against him. It was just an automatic reaction to the whole process. She figured they could always finish things later, if creepy Andre would just go away.

When she thought she had drunk enough, she pulled away, licking the wound in the same fashion Eric always did, even though her saliva wouldn't have the same effect. Eric turned to face Andre, briefly stealing a look at Sookie. They both seemed to be feeling a little high after the exchange and it showed on their faces.

As Andre opened his mouth to speak, a voice from the other end of the hallway boomed, "What in hell is going on here?"

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**A/N:** So who do you think it is? There's was a lot of information in this chapter. Hope it wasn't too much all at once. Hit the little green button and let me know what you think. And thank you for reading.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** My gratitude again to you all! You rock! Your responses rock and you inspire me! Please continue to update, PM me etc, to let me know your thoughts, opinions and ideas. Your amazing!

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it belongs to Charlaine Harris. I own all mistakes and the mysterious Fairy mentioned in this chapter.

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_**About a month before Gran's murder:**_

"I have been sent here to gather up the human family with Brigant blood, by the Prince. Perhaps instead of draining me, we can work together?" the panicked fairy asked Andre.

Andre had an affinity for fairy blood and he hit the jackpot the night he happened across this fairy, lurking in one of the alleyways of the French Quarter. Fairies were usually so hard to catch, but this one seemed distracted by a human girl he had found passed out on a pile of trash.

He and Sophie-Anne were just headed back from one of New Orleans' famous Cities of the Dead, St. Louis Cemetery Number One, a great old one that had a rich history —famous for its dead and the living that go to visit it. Many interesting things happen around those old vaults, especially in the evening and it's a favorite for vampires to go on the prowl. However, that night, there were just too many of them out and not enough fresh meat to service everyone's needs.

They were walking back to their headquarters, with Sigebert, the ancient Roman warrior and one of their most loyal bodyguards, trailing behind, just in case. They had just turned off Rampart onto Esplanade, when Andre caught the whiff of the most delicious scent imaginable. He stopped to find the direction it had been coming from. Everyone stopped with him. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up. I think I just caught a scent of Fairy and want to check it out," Andre explained his abrupt standstill.

"My dear! How lucky for you! We'll take our time strolling back. Don't be gone too long and if you do indeed find one, bring it back so we can all have a little fun!" Sophie-Anne smiled lovingly at her child. Sigebert and her moved on, while Andre turned and went off in a slightly Northwesterly direction.

He managed to follow the scent all the way up to Louis Armstrong Park, but then it took an unanticipated turn back south, weaving its way through the streets, until he got a particularly strong scent around Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Just as he was about to give up, Andre caught sight of the scent in question and followed him towards a fortunate alleyway.

"Gottcha!" yelled Andre, as he grabbed hold of the fairy's arm. They had come to a dead-end in between two buildings whose backend formed into a 'U' shape and nearly joined, with just mere inches between each. There was a foul smell of rotten food and feces coming from the corners.

Oddly, the fairy never flinched and never took his eyes off the body of a girl, who was barely alive, curled up on top of one of the piles of trash. Andre was just about to take a small taste, his fangs fully extended, pupils dilated and mouth watering for the intoxicating flavor of pure fairy, when he was broken from his concentration.

"What have we here, Andre?" the Queen asked, sneaking up behind the scene.

"A fairy and a girl! What are the odds my Queen, to find two such enticing entrees mere blocks from our quarters and on a night that we would be out, hunting out of boredom? It's almost as if this were an elaborate scheme!" Andre said handing over the fairy to Sigebert. "Careful there big fella. I found him first," he warned the giant bodyguard, clapping his hands in front of him in excitement. He actually bounced on the balls of his feet in anticipation, not unlike a child.

"Andre, would you look at this poor creature?" Sophie-Anne whispered, peeking over his shoulder at the girl lying slumped in filth. "She would be so beautiful, if she were cleaned up. It reminds me of the days when I was sold by Clovis, the boy I had escaped the epidemic with. You remember the story? And then my maker again, before he turned me, doing the same in order to earn us money. Such a travesty that this behavior still goes on this day and age," she sighed. The Queen always had a soft spot for sexually exploited women. It was a sort of kinship to her.

Andre moved closer to Hadley's body. "She smells of the fae. Is she one of yours Fairy?"

"I was trying to determine that when you, uh, discovered me," replied the fairy, trying to remain vague until he knew what his odds were. No one even seemed to consider why he didn't simply 'pop' out of danger, especially while these two were distracted. Maybe this farce would be easier than he thought. He would not fail at his assigned task.

"Explain yourself, Fairy," snapped the Queen.

"Why don't we take all this inside, hmmm, my Queen? Lingering here too long may attract some unwanted attention and I'm very interested in getting to know this one quite well before the night is done," Andre drooled, running a finger across the fairy's cheek. He eyeballed him as if he were a big juicy stake.

"Very well," stated the Queen. She snapped her fingers and Sigebert handed the fairy back to Andre. "Take the girl, have someone clean her up and delivered to my room before sunrise. Andre, don't kill this one just yet. He seems to have a story to tell. Perhaps he'll share it with you, if prompted correctly." She turned and was out of sight, with only the sound of a rustling skirt heard as evidence she was ever there.

"So you want to work together, hmmm, Fairy? What is it that you have to offer and I'll consider not draining you completely," Andre replied. He had had the fairy chained with iron, to the wall of his room, sampling his intoxicating blood and equally intoxicating body for the last several nights.

"The girl…the one your Queen has or had. I believe she is of the Brigant line. There are others, here in Louisiana – with the essential spark and a direct lineage to the Prince himself. My Lord had sent me to procure and return them to a safe location. There have been several threats of late to the Prince's half-breed relations, so he is rounding them all up for safekeeping.

"If any of them have magic, it will be strong and possibly quite useful to you and your Queen. Perhaps you could help me find them and keep them safe for us…for when the right time comes for my Lord to come collect them. He will reward you handsomely," the fairy paused, as if emphasizing the importance of his offer, "anything you desire…maybe even fairies…"

Andre paced in front of the fairy, folded hands behind his back and brow furrowed. The fairy was hopeful Breandan's plan would work and all of Niall's bastard children would be found and dealt with, without it ever looking like he had anything to do with it. Since Niall seemed so interested in vampires and their politics lately, with all the research and funding he has contributed to the synthetic blood market, vampires seemed to be the logical choice in helping round them all up

"How can you tell for sure, if she is of the Brigant's?" Andre asked.

"Well, that is one of my skills….by looking into the eyes of another, I can see their forefathers and learn their family tree. However, being that she is also human, I need to know her family's actual name or names. That's where you could help, with your glamouring ability" explained the captured fairy.

"So she is the first one you've come across here in Louisiana?"

"Yes. From what I have been told, the Prince's son, a half-fairy himself recently died an untimely death. He had several affairs with humans in this region but never revealed the exact location or names of his lovers. I figured New Orleans was the logical place to start. Just about everyone here has a smattering of otherness in them. My plan was to locate one and then try to get them to reveal the names and locations of their immediate family members," the fairy spat. Apparently, he had a dislike for anything not of pure blood.

"Well, let's see if your gift really works then, shall we? Then we can see about this deal you offer." Andre spun on his heel and left the fairy hanging from the wall, while he went to see about the girl.

He located both Sophie-Anne and the girl, in the queen's private chambers, in the most delicious compromising position. "Willing to share, my queen?" Andre teased.

Sophie-Anne hissed. "Not now Andre, I am…preoccupied as you can tell," she snapped, from between the girls legs.

"I need a word with you. I believe it's of great interest to you," Andre stated, casting his eyes to the floor. Perhaps he had overstepped a little with the interruption. Usually Sophie-Anne could care less about her human toys, but this one had dominated her time ever since they found her.

The girl sighed in frustration. "It's OK Sophie-Anne, I'm sure it's important or else _Andre_ wouldn't have interrupted," the girl shot a scowl his way, but knew not to get on his bad side.

"Very well. Why don't you go get a snack and by the time you're back, I'll be finished. Now run along," Sophie-Anne playfully slapped the girls' bare bottom as she got up from bed and rushed to grab a robe on the way out the door, closing it silently behind her.

Andre waited a few seconds, to give the girl time to move out of hearing range. "Our fairy guest seems to think this girl is related to Prince Niall. He was sent on a scouting expedition, to relocate them to a safer location due to a threat by an opposing fae group or groups. Seems Niall has lost favor among his peers with his involvement with the synthetic blood development and the fact that he has so many part human-fae kin running around.

"He claims his special talent is to learn of other fae's lineage. He says that these half-breed offspring may contain their own magics and even half their essential spark. If so, they may be useful to us for a variety reasons. He even suggested that we could hold on to them for safekeeping ourselves, until Niall is in need of them.

"He simply needs to look into her eyes to know. Then, we could glamour her into revealing her family's name and location and check it out for ourselves. I think it would be wise to align ourselves with the Prince. Especially if trouble is brewing among the fae factions. He is the most powerful and ancient out of any of them. What do you think? Will you allow him to assess your pet?" Andre asked excitedly. _Forever a teenager._

"If the girl and her family are profitable, why would I share them with some annoying fairies? Let me see what I can get out of this one myself and we'll go from there. Don't kill our guest just yet. He may be of service for other things down the road." With a flick of her hand, Sophie-Anne dismissed Andre. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out at the moonless sky, processing the information just given to her.

She had found herself completely enthralled with the young woman who called herself Hadley Delahoussaye. They shared a history, with abuse by the hand of man, as the common theme. Poor Hadley had turned to drugs after a trusted Uncle assaulted her as a young girl. Then she went through failed after failed relationship and eventually even getting married and having a baby, although not necessarily in that order. When she couldn't handle the pressures of either, she took to the streets, relying on the one thing women always have that men want.

Sophie-Anne was determined that Hadley would be used no more. Without discussing it with the girl, she had already decided she would turn her. Even if she was somehow related to Niall Brigant, it mattered not to her. Obviously, the fairy didn't care enough about her up to this point, why should he care about her now. She had not witnessed any magical abilities coming from the girl and she had spent several days alone with her…surely it would have come up one way or another.

No. The Queen would get her to talk about her family roots and go from there, but nothing would change her mind about turning her and making her part of the family. Hadley would forever be a part of Sophie-Anne. They were kindred spirits and it was meant to be that they crossed paths, of that, she was sure.

She looked up expectedly, as the girl opened the door cautiously, making sure she was not interrupting something, unlike Andre. "Hadley, my dear," Sophie-Anne said, holding out her arms to the girl, "Come, let's finish what we had started before we were so rudely interrupted." Before the dawn came, the Queen had some very interesting information regarding Hadley Delahoussaye's family, in Bon Temps.

The next evening, Sophie-Anne and Andre sat in on their usual royal meetings. After several mundane tasks, one of her favorite royal project coordinators was called before her.

"Bill Compton! I have a special assignment for you," announced the Queen.

Bill bowed his head to show his respect, "Whatever you ask, I will try my best to accomplish it, my Queen," Bill replied.

"You are originally from Bon Temps, correct?" she asked.

"Yes, in fact the last I had heard, I even have a living relative still occupying the family homestead up there," Bill answered cautiously. He did not know what Sophie-Anne would want to do with anything in Bon Temps, but he waited patiently for her explanation.

"I need you to go there, set up residence in preparation of the Great Revelation. And I also need you to locate a young human woman for me. Her name is Sookie Stackhouse. She is supposed to be gifted and I want her, if what I've heard is true. Use your persuasive powers to get to know her, or anyone close to her. Find out as much as you can and then bring her to me. Do not use force, but perhaps seduce her if you must."

"What am I to do with my living relation?" Bill asked, not thrilled with having to deal with any human woman and he was definitely not interested in seducing one. Women these days, especially human women, made him uncomfortable. It reminded him too much of his humanity, something he'd never get back and it angered him.

"He'll be dealt with by the time you get there. Now go and report back as soon as you can. Do not fail me Compton."

"I'll need a couple of weeks to prepare for my move, if that's OK. I'm in the beginning stages of the computer project you have already assigned me and I have some things to wrap up here for that," Bill replied.

"Of course. Just be sure to check in with the Sheriff, once you have settled. I don't need Northman angry at me for not following protocol. Make sure he only knows that you are simply resettling for the Revelation. No need for him to know of Ms. Stackhouse. If he harasses you at all, be sure to have him call me," she commanded and dismissed him the same way she had Andre the night before.

"Andre, I have some personal business to attend to. See to the rest of tonight's agenda and make sure I am not disturbed," she instructed, standing with a flourish. With the wheels set in motion to bring in Hadley's cousin, she was determined now more than ever to have Hadley herself, turned. If Hadley was vampire when Sookie arrived, it might be easier to convince the girl to do the same. A telepathic vampire would be a force to be reckoned with, for sure.

Andre was rather upset with Sophie-Anne for moving forward with a plan regarding the supposed Brigant family, without considering anything he had shared with her the night before. "So, I take it your pet gave you some useful information last night?" he asked before she could make it out the doors.

"Oh, yes. Hadley was quite willing to chat about things from her childhood. Including her cousin, Sookie, who seems to be telepathic," the Queen smiled. "Think of the potential, Andre, to have a human telepath among our group. Especially once the Great Revelation occurs! She would be of great use to us! I don't care who she is related to, a telepath is very rare and very precious and I will not share her with anyone…especially a fairy."

Later that night, after Andre had seen to the rest of their vampire affairs, he placed a phone call unbeknownst to Sophie-Anne, to a longtime acquaintance that just happened to live in Monroe, a few miles away from Bon Temps. Sookie Stackhouse would be found and dealt with the way he wanted and not exactly the way the Queen had devised.

"Find out if she is married, lives with someone, whatever. Have whoever she is closest to killed. Make it look like an accident, glamour some poor son-of-a bitch to do it if you must.

"Humans are much easier to negotiate with, when they are grieving the loss of a loved one. And a little fear never hurts either. Let me know when the job is done. Tell no one of our conversation," Andre ordered.

Sometimes, Andre thought, Sophie-Anne didn't fully think through her decisions and let her heart lead a little too much. Although it gave her the ability to create extremely loyal children, it also clouded her long-term judgment. But, that's why she had him.

What Andre was unaware of, was that Sophie-Anne was in the process of creating another child…one with fae blood and the unknown ability to cause those close to her to fall deeply in love with her. That tie would make the pair extremely loyal to each other.

Hadley's essential spark had shown, similarly to the way it had for Jason. It was one of the true reasons Uncle Bartlett Hale couldn't seem to keep his filthy hands off his sister's daughter and granddaughters. They all seemed to have inherited this very rare gift. It was strongest in Hadley though. It seemed to have only slightly affected Sookie, but she had own ability to deal with outside of the one Hadley and Jason seemed to have.

When Hadley was given tainted drugs that fateful night, she surely thought she was going to die. Hadley knew she shouldn't have trusted the guy who had propositioned her near the Farmer's Market. There was something about him…he was almost too beautiful and he smelled so familiar. It reminded her of Sookie's father and even a bit of Jason. They always had this wonderfully soothing smell about them. She assumed it was part of the little attraction quirk they all seemed to have and that's what made her so unnerved by the man with the drugs.

However, she needed her fix, badly. Therefore, ignoring her intuition, she followed him to the cemetery where she proceeded to give him a blowjob in exchange for the drugs. He waited and watched her get high, which she thought was a bit strange. Everyone had different fetishes though, so she just brushed it off. The next thing she knew, he was dragging her through the streets until she finally blacked out.

By some act of the gods, Sophie-Anne found her and rescued her and for that she would always be grateful. She had a genuine affection for the Queen as well, so when Sophie-Anne came to her that night and told her of her wishes, she agreed.

Finally, Hadley Delahoussaye, from the backwater town of Bon Temps, would be something special without any of the weird consequences that went along with it. She would belong and be loved just for who she was and not the influence she had over them. And she would be powerful…a child of an ancient vampire…a Queen to her people. That was something to be proud of and what better time to become vampire, with the impending announcement of their existence to the world. She wouldn't even have to skulk around killing people, because synthetic blood would be readily available. Yes, she felt truly blessed with the strange twist of events that led her to this moment.

Sophie-Anne was surprised Hadley agreed to her proposal so heartily, but it made the process much smoother and nearly painless. Andre, on the other hand, was not quite as happy. Neither were some of the Queen's other former favorites, but they would adjust, if they didn't want to meet their final death.

Once Hadley rose and became vampire, they spent several more nights together. As her maker, Sophie-Anne schooled her in the ways of vampire and all the proper etiquette required when living in such a large nest of them. Andre was to be treated as the king and therefore always looked to with reverence. The rest had their own pecking order, but Hadley was right up there with all of the most important and even got to sit in on meetings every now and then.

Being vampire and having to hide-out and not be in public, made her think of her cousin Sookie, even more now. Sookie was shunned by the community because of their lack of understanding in her ability or disability, as Sookie called it. Now Hadley was different and she too had to avoid being in public, although hopefully not for long.

She shared with Sophie-Anne all the regrets she now had about leaving her family behind. She had learned that her mother had died about two years after she ran away, apparently as a result of cancer. And she hadn't treated Sookie very nicely those last few months before she took off, calling her names and treating her like the outcast everyone else did. Perhaps sharing Sookie's talents with Sophie-Anne could convince her to bring Sookie in under her wing as well and they could once again build a kinship like they once shared as youngsters.

What no one realized was that Andre had already set his own plan in motion and it was being carried out quickly and quietly. By the time Compton arrived, Sookie should be quite a mess, with the loss of her Gran. It was Andre's hope that Compton would man-up and be her shoulder to cry on, paving the way for her delivery to their doorstep.

Word traveled fast regarding the death of Adele Stackhouse. Niall Brigant was immediately notified of the barbaric crime and he in turn promptly called in the closest people he could trust to investigate, his grandchildren, triplets living in Monroe, Claudette, Claudine and Claude. They were very popular among the community -- not only for their beauty but because two of them worked at the local strip club.

Claudette and Claude actually performed as strippers while also assisting in managing the place, while Claudine worked in customer service at Dillard's, in the only mall outside of Shreveport.

It didn't take them long to find out through a little sniffing around at the Stackhouse place that a vampire was involved. And through a little luck and eavesdropping at the strip club, they had learned that the killer was actually glamoured into doing the deed.

Befriending one of the female strippers, who had about an eighth of fairy in her, herself, Claudette was able to glean some useful information out of the girl, who had an opened mind when it came to sexual partners. She frequently hooked up with a local vampire, which most humans assumed was just another shady drug dealer.

During one of their trysts, he bragged about setting up the whole crime as a favor to a high-up vamp in New Orleans. And, as females gossip, this stripper in turned bragged to Claudette about knowing who the real killer was of that poor old lady in Bon Temps.

Niall, needless to say, was anything but happy about the news. He decided the only way to really find out the connection between Adele Stackhouse's murder and the Queen of Louisiana was to go pay her a visit, but not before he procured some protection for Adele's granddaughter Sookie, who he had never seen before, but had heard of her potential directly from Fintan. Apparently, even with only her touch of fairy blood, she exhibited signs of being quite special from an early age. She was definitely a carrier of the essential spark and therefore a target for his enemies – enemies who had apparently already had their sights on her.

Lucky for him, a long-time acquaintance, the Viking, Eric Northman as he went by these days, was the Sheriff covering the area of Bon Temps. It was almost a perfect plan. There was no one better than the Norse Man at scheming and defending something of value and his great-granddaughter was definitely something worth protecting for now.

Niall was so preoccupied with his company's involvement with the Great Revelation, he almost missed how perfect a coupling between the two would actually be. As he made preparations for approaching both the Queen and Northman, he thought back to how he met the Viking and how he really was the catalyst for everything that was about to take place.

They had met during the first fae/vamp war several centuries ago, before Niall had become Prince. Niall had seen Eric on the battlefield and admired his skill in fighting and his bravery. He had learned that Eric's maker was the great Legionnaire, Appius Ocella, whose reputation preceded him, even in those days. As the fighting dragged on for months, Niall would catch glimpses of Eric's greatness and learned of his history as a Viking. Once he had gathered enough intelligence on his target, he planned a face-to-face meeting with him.

One of Niall's skills was to be able to mask his scent, so he was unafraid of meeting with a vampire, whether it was during a war or not. They met in a cave far enough removed from the stages of battle that no one would see them and accuse them of treachery.

Niall offered the Viking an opportunity to help him. Although the original battle was strictly between the two races, as the war waged on, each faction became split and the losses were great on each side. One side was of the opinion that a truce should be called and the war ended with no further casualties. Then there were those who relished in the blood thirst of battle, calling for its continuance until the final being was left standing.

Many of Niall's enemies were on the side of continuing the war, including the other prince currently in power. He felt it was the right set of circumstances for him to ease his way into the position of reigning Prince, but he needed a way to gain the upper hand on the opposing fae faction and eliminate his competition. Through what he had witnessed on the battlefield, Niall felt Eric held the key to the plan.

He propositioned the Norseman into leading a sneak attack on this specific group of fae. They would make it look like an unfortunate, yet cunning attack by a branch of specially trained vampires. In return for his help, Eric was allowed to kill as many of those fae without retribution and if he successfully killed all of Niall's enemies, he would be given a special gift. Not to mention a long-term powerful ally.

Being a warrior first, the Viking agreed to the terms Niall offered and after forming a small army of his own, succeeded in killing off the opposing fae, effectively ending the war and thrusting Niall into power as the new Prince of the Sky Fae.

The night the battle ended, there was a great celebration among the vampires, one that even Niall attended. It was a show of good faith on the part of the fae, proving that they could once again co-exist with vampires and that there were no hard feelings going forward.

Niall ceremoniously handed over a princess from the enemy camp to Eric personally as a sign of respect and gratitude. They also shared a toast. A toast made with two solemn goblets, one containing fae blood for the vampires and the other containing vampire blood for Niall.

It was the first taste of immortality Niall had ever experienced – and it was exhilarating. He felt the effects of the combination of young and ancient blood course through his veins for weeks. He felt and looked younger than any of his counterparts and his magic strength seemed to increase tenfold. That one event, that one decision to bring the Viking in on his plan had changed the course of his existence and those of the pureblooded fae.

Niall once again had the opportunity to call on the Norseman this time in more favorable but no less precarious conditions. He would place yet another fairy princess in his hands, this time for safekeeping and perhaps even more, if everything fell into place. If the Viking only knew what he had gotten himself into.

Once he had Eric in agreement, Niall made his way to the Queen. She was a more formidable adversary and no less cunning than her Sheriff was. Niall was surprised at what all he found there.

"Good evening, Sophie-Anne, Andre," Niall nodded politely, "So nice to see you again. I hope you don't mind me dropping in unannounced."

"Prince, what a pleasant surprise," Sophie-Anne said in a not so pleasant tone. Andre had recently fed on his fairy captive and smelled strongly of the fae. "I had expected you much sooner than now. Have you come to claim your investigator?"

Niall was so taken aback at her question that he nearly balked at her questions. However, he had much practice at schooling his emotions so he never led on to his shock. "You had to know that I would not tolerate such abuse of power…Unless of course he was caught doing something unsanctioned, then I would be more tolerant in negotiating his release."

"I'm afraid he was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time and dear Andre here, was lucky enough to catch him. He is in fairly good physical condition considering the length of time we've had him. You must certainly be distracted to not have sent someone for him before now," the Queen replied.

"To be caught, is a negligence on his part to remain alert at all times. You know I only send my talent out for a specific task and failure is not an option," Niall improvised. He honestly had no idea who they had in their custody, but he surely was going to find out.

"Andre, have someone go retrieve your toy for the Prince. Go say your goodbyes if you must, but now that he is here, it is only polite to turn the fairy over to his rightful owner," the Queen commanded.

"Thank you, Sophie-Anne. It is kind of you to be so forthcoming and no retribution will be sought against you for whatever treatment he has received while in your care. Now, I do have some other business I must discuss with you.

"Several weeks ago, my son Fintan, was murdered and now it seems one of his former human lovers has met the same fate. It was a murder in your state, perhaps you have heard of the crime committed against an Adele Stackhouse?" Niall prompted.

The Queen looked shocked for a second before she rearranged her expression back to one of cold indifference. "No, I had not heard of such a thing. But, I just so happened to have one of her granddaughter's here with me. Hadley came to me about a month ago and I recently turned her. She is a lovely creature and has shared several memories of her life in Bon Temps and her grandmother, with me. She will be quite disturbed to learn of her death. What of her other granddaughter, Sookie, I believe she called her? Do you know anything of her?" the Queen questioned, ready to send Bill Compton to his final death if he let something happen to her and had not reported it yet.

"She is fine and is actually in the care of your Sheriff, the Viking. We have been acquaintances for a long time and in light of my family _members_ seemingly being systematically killed off," he emphasized the word members, to include Hadley as part of that equation, "I felt it best to garner some protection for her. She is quite special and my hope is that you'll do everything you can to assist your Sheriff in continuing to provide her adequate security, if the need should arise? Consider it recompense for the capture of my," Niall paused, searching for a title to call the unknown fairy, "investigator."

Sophie-Anne was not pleased to learn Niall had one-upped her and already secured the telepath for himself. However, all was not lost. Eric Northman was her Sheriff and therefore answerable to her. She would simply demand he hand her over and she would provide the protection Niall sought.

Andre returned to the room with the fairy in tow. Niall recognized him immediately as one of Breandan's people. He looked forward to having a little 'fun' with him and exacting a little payback for how they surely had treated Fintan before he succumbed to their torture.

"One last thing, if you would be so kind, Sophie-Anne….May I have a few moments alone with Hadley? I have never met my great-granddaughter and would like a chance to introduce myself to her. Although, I'm not especially happy that she is now vampire, I am pleased that she has such a powerful and dignified maker to spend her existence with," Niall said, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

In actuality, he was a bit jealous that Hadley had found what he had been seeking his whole life. Although, he never wanted to be vampire, the idea of being immortal was something he was willing to trade just about anything for.

And once again, everything had seemingly fallen into place for him. Having Hadley there would allow him to have an inside as to what was going on in Sophie-Anne's kingdom and if she planned on doing anything to get Sookie away from the Viking.

Hadley could prove to be worth her weight in gold.

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**A/N:** So again, a lot of information. The plot thickens and we still don't know who was in the hallway, but you'll find out next chapter, I promise! Hit the little button below and let me know your thoughts! Have a great weekend! And as always, thank you for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

**Many thanks for all the love…Don't be shy if you haven't left a review yet! I won't bite…hard! You know you want to. Disclaimer remains the same. See you at the bottom.

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Hadley sat waiting, like one of the knights of the round table. Except instead of noblemen, she was there with her Queen and maker, Sophie-Anne and her tetchy child, Andre. Directly across from her was the dullest vampire she had yet to come across and one she vowed to stake if anything bad happened tonight, Bill Compton.

He had been sent by the Queen to locate her cousin and part-fairy telepath, Sookie Stackhouse. Hadley had not known about the fae part of their heritage until just recently. She felt extremely remorseful for her part in tonight's coming events. Hadley had inadvertently advertised Sookie's very useful, very powerful gifts to the one person who could make Sookie's life either heaven or hell, Queen Sophie-Anne. She had no idea at the time that her nostalgia of her childhood would somehow bring anyone any harm. Especially since Sophie-Anne seemed so protective over those who had been misused. _Perhaps if she were able to get to know Sookie, she would change her mind about things? She had to warn Sookie somehow!_

Then the guard came in announcing their highly anticipated arrival – Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five, a very dangerous vampire, according to the local gossip; his two lieutenants: Pam and Maxwell Lee and of course Sookie. The Queen's plan was to play dumb about what Niall had already revealed – that Eric was acting protector to Sookie because of a serious threat from a building opposing fae faction, bent on removing Niall from power, by any means necessary. She was to act nonplussed about her appearance or her abilities and then she was going to simply remove her from the room. Then Sophie-Anne expected Hadley and Andre to glamour her into bonding with Andre, swaying Sookie's loyalty to the side of the Queen. From there the Sheriff's entourage would be dismissed and Bill rewarded for his insider information, even if he did fail to outright bring Sookie there himself.

Hadley was struggling to maintain her composure. Since she was so new to the vampire ways, it took just about all her concentration to school her facial expressions into nothing but a cold expression. She also had to try to play her nervousness off as simple anxiety over seeing her cousin again and as vampire, after several years. This was because Sophie-Anne could feel her emotions, being her maker. It was some weird built-in vampire radar that let the older, stronger vampire know if there was coming danger, whether it be from the child themselves or some outside influence.

She tried not to look at Sookie at all and instead decided to will holes into stupid Compton's head. Why had Niall not gotten to him first? She had told her great-grandfather about him several weeks ago. Bill had told her that he found out Sookie's family farm was just across the cemetery from his own family homestead and felt his assignment was going to be a piece of cake. And when Niall informed her of Gran's passing, she was nearly sure that Bill had something to do with it, whether directly or indirectly. It was all too coincidental.

Because of her guilt in her part in all of this, she had promised Niall that she would act as a mole in the house of the Queen and do what she could to protect Sookie, should the need arise. This is what had her more nervous than anything. There was no way she could out-maneuver or overpower Andre, he was slicker than a snake oil salesman (something her Gran used to say).

Hadley flinched when she heard Sophie-Anne order Andre to take both of them to her chambers. That was their cue to whisk Sookie away to be glamoured and bonded. But, Hadley was filled with hope when she saw how the Viking stood up to Sophie-Anne. Even though he looked deadly, she caught some emotion flicker across his face and knew she could trust him with Sookie. It was just one of those moments, like when Niall came to her with the startling revelation of his kinship and origins. When he spoke those words, she just knew them to be true. Obviously, Andre didn't get the same message that Sheriff Northman wasn't giving up so easily and flashed to Sookie's side, almost hauling her off right then.

Hadley tensed, readily to leave with them at the slightest signal from the Queen. She shot one more deadly stare at Compton, then saw Sophie-Anne nod. They were up and out the door before Sookie could probably say "Oh Crap!"

"We'll take her to the room at the end of the wing," Andre plainly stated to Hadley. It was almost as if Sookie wasn't attached to his hand as they walked briskly down the hall.

"Sookie, I'm sorry you are being treated so brusquely. Sophie-Anne truly has her heart in the right place," Hadley apologized, while making their way down the absurdly long corridor. "She wanted me to talk to you about staying here with us. I know we haven't seen each other in a while and we were not on the best of terms when I left, but I'd like for us to start over if you are willing," she asked hesitantly. She was actually trying to play on the famous Stackhouse temper, to get a rise out of Sookie and stop their forward progress. Once they reached the chamber of horrors that was Andre's playroom, there would be no going back without severe consequences.

"Hadley, why don't you make yourself useful and get your cousin some refreshments and meet us back in the room." Even though it sounded like Andre was playing the good southern host, it was really a direct order to make Hadley scarce. Apparently, he anticipated Hadley's interference and simple removed her from the equation.

"Come Sookie, I think you'll find the room we have set up quite intriguing," Andre prodded her to continue on their way. Except that, Sookie was not as stupid as he thought she looked. She had taken just a tiny sip of Eric's blood before they got off the plane. It was just a drop from his finger, but part of a little test she and Eric devised, just in case they were separated. With Andre's death grip on her arm, she had a direct link into his mind. It wasn't as clear as it was with Bill, but the gist of his thoughts were all dark and disturbing and involved her writhing around screaming in pain. She also had a distinct flash of how he thought she would appear as vampire. That was all she needed to see, to know that she needed to try to and make a run for it. She knew it was a long shot, but Eric's blood would help her, of that, she was sure.

She twisted away, raw terror gripping her. The probability of him catching her was great, but she threw that thought out the window and broke into an unseeing sprint. She veered to the left, changing course, dashing blindly into a room. The room was completely dark, not a hint of light to guide her, but again, her vision was greatly enhanced, no thanks to her very smart vampire and she was able to make out silhouette's of furniture and items dotting the floor in the room.

She made it to the other side of the room where there was a door. She waited before she attempted to open it, ears straining in the silence, hoping to gain any clue as to the whereabouts of Andre. He had only one direction to move, that was into the room towards her, she reasoned. Even so, Sookie heard nothing. She inched silently forward, listening for any movement before reaching out for the door handle. She slowly turned it, scrunching her face and closing her eyes as if that would will the latch any less noisy as it disengaged from the wall. She yanked it open the rest of the way and launched herself into what appeared to be another passageway.

Andre sprang into motion, racing toward Sookie as she emerged from the opposite entrance to the room she had run into. He was there in a matter of seconds, and he lunged, arms outstretched on either side of her body, preparing to engulf her.

Sookie yelped out in surprise and alerted everyone that something was amiss. Andre leaned into her trying to catch her gaze with his. He would have to hurry and glamour her before the Viking made his way to them.

He bit into his wrist and thrust it towards her mouth. She automatically flinched, throwing her head back and turning her face to the side, in an attempt to avoid him forcing it against her mouth. "You will drink from me," he commanded, trying in a vain attempt to glamour her.

Meanwhile, Hadley had been hanging back in one of the many rooms that lined these corridors trying to come up with some kind of plan to get Sookie away from Andre. Then she heard her scream and just bolted towards the sound. She was trying to use her vampire strong sense of smell, when she caught a whiff of another vampire, off to her left up ahead. It was a familiar smell.

"Compton!" she whispered. "What the hell are you doing? Haven't you done enough to my cousin?!" she spat. She was wishing she had thought ahead to bring a stake with her, because now would be a most opportune time to get rid of this weasel once and for all.

"I'm on your side. Come!" he stated, waving his hand for her to follow him. They quickly made a stealthy path down the hall, hearing doors being torn down and furniture being crushed under the weight of an extremely pissed off Viking vampire. Then there was nothing. No sounds. They had somehow lost them all in the maze of doors and hallways. Hadley felt like she was in a labyrinth and she lived here!

After a couple of wrong turns and dead ends, they rounded the last corner and found Sookie and a shirtless Eric pressed up against the wall, looking a little dazed, while Andre stood across from them, hands folded across his chest and looking very pissed off.

"What in hell is going on here?" Hadley blurted out. Niall was going to finally kill her if anything had happened to Sookie or if Andre managed to get her to drink from him. Bill placed a firm hand on Hadley's shoulder to remind her of the parlous situation they would all be in if Andre decided to pull rank on any of them at that moment. That snapped Hadley back into action. "Viking, if you did something to hurt my cousin, I will make sure you pay for it," Hadley lied, thinking that turning the attention on Eric, might appease Andre some.

"Sookie is perfectly fine, Hadley. They were just obeying my orders," Andre said sharply.

"I don't have to take orders from you!" Sookie spat. How dare Andre imply she was their lackey!

"And what of the Queen's wishes? Have you gone against the will of your Queen, Andre?" Hadley questioned, moving towards them. She needed to know if they had gone through with the bonding.

"I agreed to let them bond," Andre replied, pointing to Sookie and Eric, still pressed up against the wall, looking a little stoned. "The result will nearly be the same. Eric is under oath to us and they already have a strong tie, being that they are lovers and have already exchanged blood a couple of times. Sophie-Anne will understand," Andre said confidently.

"Understand what, Andre?" came the Queen's voice. It seemed there was a regular party forming in the broad atrium.

Everyone turned and bowed their heads respectfully. Everyone, except Sookie of course, who stood there staring defiantly at the Queen.

"Andre forced me to bond with Eric. I'm not sure what this all means, but how dare you?! I am a human! I have no loyalty or responsibilities to you, no matter who my cousin is to you. If you needed my help with something, you could have simply asked. But to force your will upon me? That is unforgiveable!" Sookie ranted. It was the emotions of the room again that fueled her anger and courage. She struck a nerve with the Queen though, mentioning forced will. Sophie-Anne immediately realized her error in going about things this evening.

Eric, Bill and Hadley were all panicked that Sophie-Anne was going to lash out at Sookie, but were taken by surprise by her response. There was a long paused before the Queen spoke.

"Your right, Ms. Stackhouse. I have gone about this the wrong way. It is close enough to dawn, that you won't make it back to Shreveport in time. Stay the night here and at sunset will work out some details where perhaps your services can be shared by all of us," Sophie-Anne offered.

"Come, the vampire-safe rooms are this way. Eric, I assume Pam and Maxwell Lee won't mind sharing a room and that you will want to share with your newly bonded?" Sophie-Anne glanced back at Eric and gave him and Sookie a good once over, as they all began following her back through the maze of doors and hallways.

"That will be fine," Eric replied, a bit of a leer on his face.

"Compton, you will stay in your normal suite. Hadley you will come with me," the Queen ordered.

Once they were all settled in their assigned rooms, Pam and Maxwell Lee went to meet up with Sookie and Eric.

"What happened, Eric?" Pam immediately asked, as her and Maxwell Lee entered the room.

Eric had his large hands on Sookie's shoulders, while he stood behind her looking over her head at his two lieutenants. "Andre was going to force Sookie to drink his blood, in an attempt to bond her to them," he explained. "But Sookie was able to evade him long enough until I arrived. From there, I was able to convince him," Eric winked, "to allow me to bond with her instead. As you heard earlier, she has already had my blood and we have all sworn our oath to the Queen, so it wasn't too farfetched for him to agree to let it be me that is bound to her." He squeezed his hands slightly and then ran them down her arms, until they rested on her hips.

Pam arched her eyebrow, "So, now you are bound to her?" It wasn't really a question, but more of an obvious statement. Eric nodded solemnly and Sookie sighed.

Pam gave Sookie a sharp look, "Are you unhappy about something, Sookie?" she asked, though she sounded like she didn't really want to hear her answer.

"Well, why wouldn't I be happy?" Sookie responded sarcastically. She broke from the Vikings grip and began pacing the room. "In about three or four days time, I've been: tricked to come live with a vampire; found out that I have a fairy great-grandfather; been nearly killed a couple of times; found out that my cousin is now a vampire and I have been thrust before a queen of vampires, who wants to enslave me for the sole purpose of using me for my telepathy. And to add insult to injury, I have been forced to exchange blood with Eric, here, which is supposed to mean I'm magically bound to him now. I don't even get what that means! To cap it all off, we're all stuck in this horrible place for at least one more night? Why would I not be happy, Pam?" Sookie paused to catch her breath.

She plopped down on the edge of the very large bed in the middle of the room and said, "You know what, don't even answer that. I know what you are going to say. I should be grateful to each one of you. For you have gone out of your way to protect me, at great personal sacrifice to yourselves, which I'm beginning to understand is quite the rare occurrence.

"And honestly, I _am_ grateful, because who knows where I would be right now, if it weren't for you all. But, I'm just tired – spent on this whole nightmare. Will my life never be the same? Will I always be looking over my shoulder wondering who is going to come after me next, either for my heritage or for my 'gift'? What kind of life is that?

"All I ever wanted was what every other normal girl wants…to get married, have two kids, a dog maybe – the happily ever after. But, that will never happen for me, because I'm a part-fairy, telepath, who is blood bonded to a thousand year old Viking vampire. And saying that all out loud just sounds ridiculous!" Sookie sighed and threw herself back into a lying position on the bed, covering her face with her hands.

"Well, Pam, I believe Sookie has answered all your questions. Why don't we all retire for the day and we'll be sure to meet as soon as we all rise in the evening – before the Queen calls us before her," Eric broke the tension that had built in the room while Sookie ranted and ushered Pam and Maxwell Lee out the door. He knew neither of them was too happy about being involved in this political nightmare, all over a part human girl. Sookie's rant, certainly didn't change their minds about that, but maybe it helped them see things a bit from her perspective. She obviously wasn't afraid of any of them anymore.

Eric walked over to Sookie, still lying on her back. He pulled her hand from her face and brought her to a sitting position. He squatted down on to the balls of his feet, so that he was at eye level with her. "I understand that the circumstances surrounding the last few days have been less than ideal for you Sookie, but what happened this evening was for the best. I am truly lesser of the evils as far as being bound to anyone. I will not take advantage of you or try to exert my will on you intentionally, unless it is for your safety or the safety of me and those I'm responsible for."

He reached up and brushed some hair off her face then proceeded to caress her cheek. "You are an asset to all of us, including your great-grandfather or we would not be in this situation at all. You are a telepath, you have your own magic, and you have the essential fae spark. That makes you valuable, wanted, even revered. But, you are also cared for by all of us who are willing to put our safety on the line for your own. That is something you must keep in mind as well. You are not alone in this." He slowly moved in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Then another, lingering just a little bit longer than the first time. Finally, he embraced her and kissed her more forcefully, more passionately than he had before.

She opened her legs and he moved to a kneeling position in front of her. Their emotions bounced back and forth between the newly created bond and it made everything feel more intense. Eric was still shirtless from earlier, giving Sookie free access to explore his incredible physique. He was truly a perfect male specimen and he was more than willing to share it with her. This whole experience, with the supernatural world and meeting her unknown family, just astounded her and she clung to Eric now as a new constant in her ever-changing life. The feel of his cool skin underneath her hands, was familiar now. The taste of his mouth was something she craved, like her favorite ice cream and the scent of him, that she thought should be bottled and sold, to all the big department stores, made her feel safe and calm. His touch made her feel beautiful. He was so gentle; even though she knew, those hands had probably killed thousands. The way he looked at her, gave her confidence after being so insincere her whole life.

"Am I supposed to feel this way about you?" Sookie whispered, pulling back from their kiss.

"How do you feel, Lover?" Eric asked wanting to hear her say it aloud, even though he felt certain, he knew what she was thinking, from the emotions swirling around them.

Instead of answering, she just pulled him back for another fiery kiss. She ran her left hand down his chest and began to fumble with his pants buttons. She could hear her own lumbered breathing, it was so loud, but continued groping her way down until she freed him from the confines of his pants. Her other hand twisted its way into his hair while she grabbed onto his gracious plenty and stroked. Eric picked her up and abruptly placed her against the wall. She gasped and wrapped her legs around his waist. He ripped her shirt away and subsequent bra, leaving her bare-chested in a matter of seconds. She moaned out of excitement and used the hold she had on his head, to urge him to her hardened nipples. The minute she felt his teeth and tongue touch that sensitive skin, she nearly came undone. _How could a simple touch of something so cool be so damn erotic_?

Wild with desire, she slid her hand away from his very hard erection and began to unbutton her own pants. She needed them off pronto and she needed him inside her before she lost her mind. Once he realized what she was doing, he was more than happy to oblige and her jeans joined the rest of the shredded clothing somewhere on the floor. She was suddenly hit was a jolt of lust that wasn't completely hers and it rocked her. Sookie closed her eyes tightly for a moment, just so she could enjoy the sensations flowing around her. She felt her leg lifting and Eric's fingers testing her readiness. She nearly growled, desperate for him to be in her. "Now Eric! Now! Please!" she begged, moving her head side to side in frustration.

She wriggled her curvaceous body, clawing at Eric's back, trying to pull him inside of her. She kept her eyes tightly closed, waiting for the moment he would drive himself home.

"Look at me, Sookie," Eric commanded. Her eyes flashed open and for an instant, she froze. His tip was at her entrance and he was holding himself back until their eyes locked, then in one swift thrust he plunged himself in to the hilt, circling his hips to automatically hit her sweet spot.

An involuntary moan burst from deep within her at the pleasure and pain she felt over the sudden yielding of her body adjusting to his size. And when he hit that special spot, she yelled out his name, "Eric!" she cried. The intensity of their coupling was almost too much to bear. He methodically drove into her, growling each time his world-class bottom clenched with the powerful force of his drive. Sookie's blood coursed with raw lust and pleasure as she tried to meet Eric's moves, with ones of her own, but it was taking all her energy just to hang on. There was something so feral about his taking her this way. "Mine!" he growled, "Mine!" And for just that moment Sookie couldn't agree more, "Yes," she replied, "Oh, yes!"

That threw Eric off his rhythm for a second. He paused and pressed his forehead against hers, "Do you mean that?" he whispered, barely getting the words out. It wasn't as if he was out of breath, but he was so consumed with both of their lust and the honesty of her response that he was actually caught up in the emotion of it all. She answered him by pulling his mouth to hers for a searing kiss. She tried to pour as much passion into that one kiss as she could muster. They were bonded now and even though she didn't know exactly what that meant, she got the impression from everyone's reaction that it was a really big thing. Besides, he was the only one she felt she could truly trust at this point, so why not go for it with reckless abandon and really give into him fully, at least for this moment.

He broke away from her lips and started trailing soft kisses from her chin, across her jaw line and to the sensitive spot by her ear. He slowly shifted his hips in that erotic circular motion, while his hand left a blazing trail of gooseflesh down her sides, across her abdomen, stopping just above her pubic bone, before sliding back up to her taut nipples. He pushed off from the wall and moved them back over to the bed, with him lying on his back and Sookie on top, all without breaking contact.

Eric placed his hands on Sookie's hips and began guiding her in a slow, sensual tempo. She place her hands on his chest to give herself some leverage and watched as Eric closed his eyes. He was so beautiful with his mouth slightly open in a lazy smile, tongue slightly resting on his bottom lip. Sometimes when she dropped down a little too fast, he'd purse his lips in a little 'o' fashion and other times when she slowly rose, squeezing her muscles as she went, he would clench his teeth together and make a little hissing sound. _Stunning_.

When they exhausted that position, Eric rolled them onto their sides, into a spooning type position. He rubbed her nub with gusto, applying pressure or backing off when needed. _He really did know all the tricks_. Just as she was building to an exquisite release, he licked the spot between her neck and shoulder and slowly sunk his fangs in. The release of her blood was also the release of her sexual tension and she shook violently from the intensity of it all. Eric actually stopped drawing on her little wounds to call out himself, feeling her reaction through the bond. It sent him over the edge as well and after a lot of moaning and groaning, they finally fell apart, spent in a haze of post-coital bliss.

Sookie was the first one to speak. She grabbed his hand, hugged it to her chest, and bent her head down to kiss each of his fingertips. "I don't know what that all was, but it had to be the best experience I have ever had. How is it that I could feel what you were feeling and what I was feeling all at the same time?! Is that what the blood bond does?"

He pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head before he answered. "One of things it does is allow me to feel every emotion you have. It's a safety mechanism, so to speak, for the vampire. If his bonded is in trouble it alerts him to that fact and buys him time to get away or prepare for an attack. It seems our bond works both ways and not only do I feel your emotions and your life force, humming along aside mine, but you also feel mine. It definitely makes for incredible sex. That was the best I have ever had – in all my thousand plus years," he sighed, pulling her in even closer to, if that were possible.

If there were one power he wished he possessed, it would be to have the ability to freeze a moment in time. With that capability, he would capture this feeling, the emotions, the physical connection they shared, all of it, so that it could be played over and over again.

Sookie thought that he couldn't possibly mean what he said to her, but she didn't speak her doubt aloud and just let her surroundings captivate her. "I think I feel the pull of dawn, like you say you do. I'm suddenly exhausted."

"Yes, it is just a few moments away. You will be safe here in this room, but if you wake before dusk, please don't try and leave. I don't know and therefore don't trust the day personnel. There is a refrigerator over there, by the little sink. I'm sure they have put some sort of sustenance in there for you. I haven't been feeding you well, Lover, but I intend to make it all up to you upon our return to Shreveport, OK?" Eric said.

Sookie yawned and nodded her head that she understood everything he just told her, but the pull on her for sleep was like a strong current, pulling her out to sea. She felt like she was slipping away. _Let me slip away_, she thought. And just like that she was under.

Her next conscious thought was a sound, much like a constant tapping or pounding. _Was someone building something_? She shifted as much as possible, with the weight of a dead-for-the-moment Viking holding her down. She struggled enough so that she got the pillow over her head, but then heard the noise again, only louder this time. She flung the pillow off and attempted to sit up. It was the door…someone knocking on the door. It had to be a human, because obviously Eric was not up yet. He had warned her not to go out of the room, but he never said anything about answering the door. Maybe they had food for her. A growling stomach convinced her that it might be OK to answer it, if only she could find something to put over her naked body.

After squirming out from under Eric, she found the bathroom and a robe behind the door. "I'm coming, hold on, please," she called to the very persistent person on the other side. She glanced back at Eric's extremely vulnerable body one last time, debating on whether it was safe for him to open the door. It could be anyone on the other side of it—but would they be knocking? Sookie had no idea what she even looked like, but she was sure she was probably glowing and had major sex hair. She could just feel it poofing all around her.

She carefully opened up the door, just a crack, keeping her foot positioned behind it, in case she needed to slam it closed quickly. It was a young girl, maybe in her early twenties, waiting on the other side. She was dressed in a really revealing tank-top and a short leather skirt with the tallest fuck-me heels on, Sookie had ever seen. "I'm here to see if the Master will need a meal for this evening. It's nearly dusk and it's my job to make sure all of the guests have been seen to properly, before they have audience with the Queen," the girl spoke in her high-pitched Marilyn Monroe voice. Sookie took a second to pop into the girl's head. It was like Swiss cheese in there. Obviously, her memory had been tampered with. That must be from the "glamour" or hypnosis the vamps seem to try on everyone. _Well, as least she was telling the truth and it wasn't some elaborate hoax to gain entrance to their room_, Sookie thought. Then she got a little jealous…_would Eric want someone like her, when he woke up_? _How many times had he had someone like her? After all, he needed blood to survive, right?_ She shivered a little at the thought and shook her head to clear it from the quickly darkening mood.

"No thank you. The _Master _is all set in that area. But, please see that you check with Pam and Maxwell Lee, they probably will be…ahh…in need of your services. Thank you?" Sookie wasn't sure how to handle that, but she closed the door and reset the locks. She leaned her back up against the door for a second and just took a couple of deep breaths. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to this lifestyle, but she supposed she was just going to have to, especially now that she was bonded to big and blond over there looking delectable, all cozied up in the covers of the bed. Just as she started back towards him, to crawl back under those covers herself, she had the strangest feeling. Her body started getting all tingly and then she saw Eric's eyes open.

"Good evening, Lover," Eric spoke in a low husky voice, just as if he had, well—woken up.

"That was incredibly weird," Sookie said, crawling onto the bed. "I think I just felt you wake up or whatever it is that you do."

"I felt this strange burst of jealousy as I was regaining consciousness. What happened?" Eric asked, reaching for her to join him.

Sookie told him about the girl at the door, how she looked and what she wanted. "I hope I did right, by sending her away? Maybe you wanted her instead? I just figured you would…you know, use me, for that," she jabbered. She didn't want to admit to him that the thought of him with another girl, especially one like that, made her jealous. Also, she was still a bit unsure and insecure about their whole 'relationship'. It's not like she had any reference when it came to men…or vampire men.

Eric pulled her chin up, making her eyes meet his. He had a small smirk on his face, "You did right, Lover. You are my bonded now. Your blood will be all I crave, but I will not 'use' you as you said. If you are uncomfortable with me taking your blood, I will simply get it elsewhere."

"And you'll have sex with them then too?" she asked, not that she wasn't willing to give him her blood, but she was morbidly curious if vampires always had sex when they fed.

"Why do you want to watch?" Eric teased.

Sookie swatted his chest. "Why are you always so perverted? I don't want to watch you have sex with anyone…I mean, I don't want to watch anyone have sex period, but especially not with you…I mean…gah!" She was flustered. She totally just gave away the reason for her jealousy. It was burning through her along with her complete embarrassment.

Eric drew her up, so they were face to face and kissed her gently on her forehead, then again on the tip of her nose and finally on her lips. His cool tongue swept across them, seeking entrance to her mouth, which she immediately opened for him. He unwrapped her from the confines of the borrowed robe and had her on her back, arms pinned above her head faster than she could say, "Viking vampire."

"Perhaps some well placed mirrors on the ceiling and you could watch yourself have sex with me, Lover," he purred before kissing her again. Then, as if he had six hands, he was everywhere, touching her, caressing, pitching, fondling. Her only response was a low moan, while she wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing her feet into his lower back, eager to have him inside her again.

In the heat of the moment, Sookie cried out his name so loud, she was sure the whole building heard her. Then there was that incessant knocking again. _It better not be that stupid girl again_, she thought. "Pam," Eric whispered. "Five minutes Pam!" he spoke a little louder, but not yelling. With their super vamp hearing, they never seemed to have a need to shout.

"Sorry to cut this short, Lover, but I need to speak with them," Eric said, thrusting a little harder, a little faster. He kissed down her neck, pushing her head slightly to the side. She knew what was coming next and the thought of being bit, suddenly excited her. Up until this point, it had always taken her a little by surprise and made her nervous, because she was otherwise preoccupied, but now she was aware of what he was about to do and she braced for it, waiting for the exquisite painful pleasure it invoked in her.

She groaned out his name and squeezed him to her as tight as she could. She saw stars, her ears started ringing and her whole body trembled with the mesmerizing feeling of her life force flowing from her into him. He had his own good minute, while he was drinking and the combined feeling of both their releases flowing through both of them, was nearly paralyzing.

"Amazing," he muttered. "I'm not sure I'll ever be tired of that feeling," he said, lazily licking her wounds closed. Then he did something unexpected and pierced his finger with his fang, rubbing the resulting drop of blood into the same spot where he just fed. "I have drunk from the same spot over the course of a couple of days now. I don't want you walking around with gaping fang marks on your beautiful skin," he explained. "Now, why don't you go take a shower, while I catch up with Pam and Maxwell Lee. I'll try and find you something suitable to wear, since I seemed to have done a number on your clothes," he pointed out the shredded pieces of cloth strewn about the room.

"Ok. Thanks, baby, for, you know, everything," Sookie said. She couldn't articulate what she was feeling just then. She was touched that he cared enough about her, to completely heal her of her fang marks and that she wasn't going to be forced to walk around the Queen's quarters in a borrowed bath robe. She got up and made her way to the bathroom, which she just now noticed was quite luxurious. Vampires apparently had a thing for bathing, because so far, she noticed, they all seemed to have elaborate taste in washroom fixtures.

Once she was finished, she shyly made her way back out to the main room, where she found Eric, Pam and Maxwell Lee standing around, talking. They immediately quieted when she entered the room. "What? Were you talking about me or something?" Sookie asked. "You know it's not very polite to gossip. Especially when the source is just a room away," she scolded them, hands on hips to emphasis her point.

"Sit, Lover. I have some news to tell you," Eric directed. Sookie went and sat on the edge of the bed, with an uneasy feeling that there was bad news coming her way. But, before Eric could get another word out, there was yet another knock at the door. Eric nodded to Pam to open it. In the doorway stood Hadley.

"May I come in?" she asked.

Pam moved aside to let her in. "Have you told her yet?" Hadley asked Eric.

"I was just about to when you knocked," Eric replied.

Sookie sighed, knowing full well that something most definitely had happened or was about to happen and it wasn't good.

"Sookie, you must know how sorry I am about not getting to you in time last evening. I made a promise to myself and to Niall that I wouldn't let anything happen to you and now you're bonded to the Viking! I feel just horrible," Hadley exclaimed, crouching down in front of Sookie and taking her hand. "This is all my fault. I led everyone straight to you because I was weak -- on drugs and just completely out of control."

"Sookie, we've received some disturbing news this evening from Bon Temps," Eric started. Then he was interrupted again by another knock at the door.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, is our room some vampire visitor's center?! That's about the fifth time someone has knocked on that door tonight!" Sookie declared.

Maxwell Lee opened the door this time, to reveal Bill Compton. He was allowed to enter, much to Sookie's chagrin.

"What do you want? Aren't you part of the axis of evil around here?" Sookie chided.

"Dear One, apparently your great-grandfather's influence has broadened just a tad, since we last saw him. Both Hadley and Bill have been asked to lend us their assistance, as needed," Eric explained.

"How are you doing, Sookie? You seem to be taking the news well," Bill commented.

"What news? Would someone please just come out with it already…before anybody else knocks at the door?" Sookie cried out.

Hadley squeezed Sookie's hands in a supportive manner, "It's Jason. He's gone missing. Apparently, he has missed work for a couple of days in a row now, without calling in. At first everyone assumed he had gone on a bender and ran off with one of his many girlfriends, but Sam Merlotte was asked to go check out his place…you know, sniff around? And well, they found traces of panther and fairy," Hadley announced.

"Omigod!" Sookie said, stifling a sob. "Is it who came after me? I thought Niall said he wouldn't be in danger, something to do with him lacking spark or something?" Sookie asked, looking around the room.

"That's the thing. None of us anticipated the fairies going for Jason. It's possible someone here is involved. My thinking is Sophie-Anne figured holding your brother would be a good bargaining chip for your services," Maxwell Lee chimed in.

"So y'all have been sitting around discussing my family and never considered that Jason might still be in danger? Bill, what do you have to say about this? Weren't you sent to Bon Temps for me? Did Sophie-Anne say anything about Jason?" Sookie asked. Then she turned back to Hadley, "Did you say anything to her about Jason? Did she give you any indication she would do something like this?"

Bill answered first, "My only instructions were to bring you back here of your own accord. She mentioned nothing to me about a brother. The night I saw you at Eric's headquarters, Niall approached me. He made me an offer in exchange for helping Eric and Hadley watch over you-- in case the Queen or Andre got some crazy notion that they could simply turn you. He never made any mention of your brother either. He only asked that I stick to the plan of informing her of your location, but to reveal nothing else."

Then Hadley spoke up. "I mentioned Jason in passing. She even asked if he had any gifts like you, but I told her other than being able to score just about any woman, he was just an ordinary person. I honestly don't think she would do anything like kidnapping Jason, especially now that you are bonded to her best Sheriff.

"My hunch is that if anybody here is involved, it's Andre. Niall and I think he was behind Gran's death, although we don't have any concrete proof. He told me that some vamp in Monroe glamoured the guy who was responsible for killing Gran and had been hired by someone here…someone high up. Sophie-Anne would never hurt me that way. But, Andre on the other hand…" Hadley concluded.

"Well, if he is here, I need to be able to walk around and see if I can 'hear' him, if you know what I mean. Maybe I could get something from some of the humans here, although, they more than likely have been glamoured too, as you put it.

"If he is not here, than what about the fae? Why would they want Jason?" Sookie asked.

"When Sophie-Anne found me, I had been given laced drugs. Turns out it was a fairy, someone supposedly from Niall's camp. But he wasn't. He was some sort of tracker for an opposing faction. Andre had him here, chained up for several days. When Niall came seeking out answers to Gran's death, they turned the fairy over to him, assuming he was one of Niall's. Niall found out he was sent to find all of the Brigant human kin. They planned on rounding us all up and either using us as an advantage over the Prince, or just outright killing us.

"So maybe Jason was somehow discovered by another tracker and they took him, as they intended to with the rest of us?" Hadley inquired, looking around the room.

"What's the significance of the panther smell? Could it be that he simply was attacked by wildlife? I mean Bon Temps is pretty rural," Sookie reasoned.

"Except that panthers are rare in that part of Louisiana. My bet is that it was a were-panther and could have been hired by either the fae or vampires to kidnap Jason," Eric guessed.

"What the hell is a were-panther? You know what? Never mind, don't tell me. So, we really have no idea what or who has Jason, do we? Has anyone thought to simply call the police and report him missing?" Sookie asked.

They all looked at one another and shrugged. "Great! Just great! None of you in your superior intellect has thought to use the most basic of human services?" Sookie was incredulous.

"Sookie, this has Supe written all over it. What could the human police do that any of us could not?" Pam sighed, sounding almost bored.

"Find him, maybe?!" Sookie snapped.

Just then, yet another knock sounded at the door. "You have got to be kidding!" Sookie growled. She stood up and marched over to the door, yanking it open with exaggerated force. It was Andre. "Great! As if this evening couldn't get any worse, it's effing Andre! What the hell do you want?"

Pam snickered, while everyone else paused, as if holding their breath, well that is, if they indeed needed to breathe. "So nice to see you too, Sookie. Well, well, are you having a party and failed to invite me? Now, that's not very nice, is it?" Andre sneered, eyeing everyone gathered in the room. "The Queen requires all of your presence as soon as possible. And Sookie? Please don't wear that," Andre pointed to her robe, "to see her. It is most unflattering." Then he turned and nearly vanished down the hall.

"Gah! That man just creeps me out!" Sookie said, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, he's also the thing closest to the Queen, so I wouldn't continue talking to him like that, if you value your life," Maxwell Lee said.

Pam snickered again, "Well Sookie, I must say, you are certainly entertaining to have around."

Eric shot Pam a glare, tamping her humor down instantly. "Pam brought you some clothes, Sookie. Why don't you go get changed and we'll all make our way to see what Sophie-Anne requires of us next." Eric pointed to a pretty, cranberry colored dress and some shimmering healed-sandals that lay across the bed. She hadn't noticed them before now.

She gathered up everything and went into the bathroom to get dressed. While she was primping, Eric and the other vampires hastily made plans that included returning to Shreveport tonight and finding out what they could of Jason's disappearance. Hadley assured everyone, she would do what she could at the Queen's residence, in finding anything out and promised to report back to Eric.

Hadley and Bill left first, while Eric's contingent patiently waited for Sookie to emerge, dressed to impress the Queen.

Once they were all assembled, Sophie-Anne called Sookie to stand before her. The Queen looked really amazing in a sapphire blue silk pantsuit with a beautiful diamond and sapphire necklace and small matching earrings. Andre stood up and slightly bowed his head towards Sookie, looking admonished in front of everyone.

"Sookie, I have explained to Hadley and Andre that we have done wrong by you. Although, I am not sorry that you are now bonded to my most capable Sheriff, I regret that I did not see how you would interpret our plan of welcoming you into our household. Andre was to approach the bonding gently, while Hadley explained to you how wonderful it would be to have you here. Alas, I cannot change what happened, I can offer you this: You will be allowed to return with your Sheriff to Shreveport this evening. However, I will expect you to return the night before the Great Revelation and stay with me that week. I will require your telepathy services to ensure that the humans will be honorable in their acceptance of us. I will compensate the Sheriff for your time and you will be treated with respect and dignity while you are here. Now you and your entourage are dismissed." With a wave of her hand, they all took their leave, heading back to Shreveport and the mystery that awaited them there.

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**A/N: So…Were you surprised by who was in the hallway? How about Sophie-Anne nearly apologizing? And who in the heck has Jason? Stay tuned for the next installment! Do me a favor and hit the little green button and let me know your thoughts. It helps me type faster! LOL. :K**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry this is out later than I planned. I got sucked into Meg2's posting of her sequel, "Scenes from a Marriage 2". If you haven't read any of her stuff, you should definitely check her out. She is amazing AND she posts whole stories at one time! Love it!! You can find her under my Favorite Author link in my profile. But first, read the next chapter here and don't forget to leave me some love. It keeps my muse fed and she loved all of what you gave her last time! But she could *always* use more!**

**Disclaimer remains the same. Mistakes are mine. xox**

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The rumble of the landing gear coming down broke the silence of the cabin. Even though the flight was only about an hour long, it seemed to drag on forever. Worry consumed Sookie's thoughts. She had to return to the Queen in about a weeks' time, to perform telepathy services before, during and after the Revelation and do so without Eric. He would have to stay in Shreveport and supervise how things were going in his area. Since Area 5 covered many smaller towns, it was likely the news of vampire's existence wouldn't go over too well, something about change, no matter how big or small, always seems to be taken hardest in small groups.

The flashing lights on the runaway as they made their final approach made Sookie wonder how they were going to go about announcing it to the world. Would there be paparazzi lined up outside of certain buildings to take photos? Could vampires even have their picture taken? Would they go on TV or maybe broadcast something across the Internet to let everyone know? Would they go on Oprah or Larry King Live!, Sookie wondered.

It was amazing to her that they were even considering it as a collective group. From what she learned during the flight, what actually prompted this momentous event was the invention of synthetic blood. Some Japanese scientists, who actually work for the company her great-grandfather was highly invested in, created it. Sookie thought that was strange – why would a fairy encourage research in something that seemingly benefitted one of their natural enemies.

The company's PR claim was that its creation was the result of trying to resolve the donated blood shortages that have plagued emergency aid organizations, like the Red Cross and hospitals, for years now. Not only would it solve the shortage problems, but also production of it was simple. There was no need for testing for diseases, no worries about tainted blood and no wastefulness of throwing out blood. That saved time _and_ resources.

The vampires PR claim was going to be that they would no longer pose a threat to humans, because they could rely on synthetic blood to meet all their nutritional needs. Eric, Pam and Maxwell Lee seemed to doubt that. Sookie wondered if the company or the organized league of vampires pushing the outing, actually held taste tests for vampires and what companies were actually going to sign up for distribution. Was there going to be a Coca-Cola brand of blood? _Yuck_.

The screech of the tires and the slight bumpity-bump of the plane touching down made her think about her brother. Where could he be and more importantly, if someone had him, who could it possibly be and what were their motives? Thinking of motives – she was also equally concerned about Hadley and Bill. She was praying that Hadley wouldn't be caught spying on the Queen or Andre for Niall. Bill made her uneasy at his abrupt switching of sides. She wondered what exactly Niall offered him in order to go against his Queen. For that matter, what was Eric's reward in all of this?

A rush of jet-engine fuel and stale warm air swarmed the cabin of the plane as the flight attendant opened the door. Sookie watched Pam and Maxwell Lee get up and swiftly exit into the private hanger, while Eric stood up and stretched unnecessarily. She got a quick peek at his abdomen, a true nearly twelve-pack of muscle and it made her feel all tingly. Eric smirked down at her and offered his hand. While she grabbed it and left her seat, she started thinking about the blood bond they now shared. Apparently, they could sense each other's emotions now. Therefore, if she were happy, angry, sad or horny, Eric would feel it. If Eric were angry, angrier still, even furious, or perhaps randy, she would feel it. Those were the only feelings she thought he had anyway. She couldn't imagine him with any other feeling. She was curious to know if they would feel each other's pain or hunger even. Weren't they emotions as much as feelings? She smiled to herself thinking of Eric sharing in her PMS and menstrual cramps once a month. _That would be a treat_!

"Lover, you are obviously in great turmoil over something. I've been feeling it and seeing it cross your face for most of the ride back. What has you so troubled?" Eric asked.

Sookie sighed, "Too many things to discuss now. All I want to do is eat something hearty and collapse in bed and sleep for a week. I have never felt more emotionally exhausted in all my life. This whole week has finally caught up to me and I'm not sure how much more of your guys' kind of excitement I can take."

"What do you want to eat and I'll stop and get it for you," Eric replied as he sauntered over to a cranberry red '67 Corvette, convertible of course. He hopped in like he were Bo from the Dukes of Hazzard.

Sookie stopped short and looked at Eric, "I'm not hopping in that way. Please tell me the door actually opens."

Eric smiled a genuine smile before leaning over and opening her door for her. "Cheer up Lover, everything will be alright," he said, running his hand from the top of her head, down the length of her hair and then squeezing her shoulder. Then he fired up the engine of the heavy metal beast and they roared out into the night, tires squealing as they went. She almost yelled out a "Yee-Haw!" just because it felt right in the moment…_almost._

"I think I'd really like some crawfish étouffée. It's kind of comfort food for me. There must be a seafood restaurant around here that we can get take out from. But then again, you don't eat, so maybe it would be safer to get a chicken basket from the Dairy Queen. You've heard of that right?" Sookie didn't even bother to look at Eric and just rested her head back against the soft leather seat-rest and closed her eyes. She really was exhausted.

Suddenly the car flew around a corner so fast, it threatened to tip up on two tires. "Slow Down!" Sookie screamed. Either Eric was eager to show off his driving skills or there was some sort of threat he was trying to avoid.

"Sorry, Lover. Someone is following us. A couple of someones actually. Two cars behind us, both black SUVs and tinted windows. Hold on tight and try to just trust me," Eric said.

"Remember, I'm mortal. If you wrap us around a tree, only one of us is walking away, and I think you know who that will be," she said, panicking.

"I think about that often," Eric absentmindedly responded.

The high-speed game of beat-the-red-light through the streets of Shreveport had been worrisome enough, but now they were racing through the winding residential neighborhoods and Sookie was about to lose her mind. "Where are we going, Eric?"

"Driving crazy through the suburbs attracts unwanted attention. The thing we have going for us is that I have several properties around town. We are headed towards one. I'm counting on someone taking their civil duties seriously and calling the police on us. The advantage we have is that we can switch cars and head back to the tower, while whoever is following us will most likely be discovered by the police or forced to call off their pursuit." Eric explained.

"You get chased often?" Sookie half-laughed.

"I am over a thousand years old, Lover. There isn't much I haven't done or seen."

"Right. Are we going to be there soon because I'm either going to be sick from this roller-coaster ride or pass out from low-blood sugar," Sookie complained, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. She heard a strange crunch noise and then Eric's right arm against her lips.

"Drink. My blood will give you strength until we can get you some real sustenance," Eric commanded. Sookie's eyes snapped open and took in the sight of Eric's wrist, all oozing with blood and getting ready to drip onto her lap.

"Can I have too much of your blood, I mean without becoming one of you? It seems I've had an awful lot in the last couple of days," Sookie asked, trying not to sound to accusatory, but of course she was.

"I'll know when it's too much. Just take one long pull off of it and you'll feel right as rain. Quickly, before it heals," he said, staring at her.

"Eyes on the road Buddy!" she squealed as she realized they were careening around a corner way faster than they should. She grabbed onto his wrist and did as he told her and she instantly felt much better. She even felt calmer, that was until she felt a jolt of anger pass through her.

"Buddy? Buddy?" Eric said in a pissy tone. "I am not your buddy."

Sookie rolled her eyes. Leave to him to get upset over some harmless name calling. She doesn't get all bent out of shape when he calls her 'Lover' in front of everyone. "Just get us out of this mess please. We can argue about pet names later," she says defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting him dirty look. Their little stare down was broken up by the sound of sirens and flashing lights coming up fast behind them.

"Ahh. Luckily for them, we are here," Eric stated as they pulled into a lengthy driveway that stretched all the way across the front of a very long, brick house. The path hooked back around the west end of the building, where a double garage was neatly tucked away, not visible at all from the road. He killed the lights of the car and then hopped out to punch a code into a panel hidden within frame of the doorway. As if by magic, the garage door started to open, revealing a very tidy inside with painted floors and cabinets lining the walls. A sleek, shiny black car with no visible markings on it was parked on one side, while there was a convenient empty spot left open for this one. Eric swiftly returned and pulled them into the garage, the door closing behind them.

"It would be best if we hung out here for a few moments. Come, let's go inside and see if there is any food for your noisy belly," Eric smirked as he hopped back out of the car.

They entered into a rather sprawling ranch style house that looked as though it was built in the seventies, complete with olive green appliances and linoleum flooring. The dark wood paneling on the walls and mustard color carpeting made Sookie feel like she had stepped into the Brady Bunch household. She half expected a housekeeper named Alice to come around the corner with an apron on, holding a sheet of fresh baked cookies.

Eric strolled over to the fridge and whipped open the door. It seemed to be pretty well stocked with stuff, considering the house was owned by a vampire. "It's part of the charade, Lover. If someone were to come here looking for me, they would find nothing out of the ordinary. Just a well kept home whose owner was apparently away. Help yourself to whatever. I need to go make some calls," he said, sweeping his left arm in front of him, to direct her towards the opened icebox.

She found enough fixings to make a very nice sandwich and a tall glass of milk that was luckily unexpired. While she was finishing up, Eric returned with a frown on his face. "What is it?" Sookie asked.

"Well, Pam tells me that there is a visitor waiting for us back at the penthouse. Chow informs me that our contacts at the local precinct has four Weres in custody for reckless driving through a neighborhood about three blocks from here," Eric said walking slowly towards her, expression unchanged.

"And there is something you aren't telling me, isn't there? What is it Eric? Tell me," Sookie stared at him, waiting. He completed the distance between them and embraced her in a tight hug.

"Bill has informed us that Hadley has been sent to her final death," he whispered into her hair.

"What?! How?! By who? Sophie-Anne? Does Niall know?! Omigod," Sookie gasped and slumped against Eric's embrace. "Could things get any worse?" she sobbed.

"Apparently one of Sophie-Anne's favorites, an interesting Albino fellow named Waldo, got a little jealous of her and Hadley's sudden closeness. He tricked her into going out hunting with him and he staked her in the St. Louis Cemetery, right in front of Marie Leveau's tomb site. Sophie-Anne had sent one of her guards to follow them, just in case and he witnessed the whole thing. Before he could react though, she was gone. Sophie-Anne is quite distraught and wants to know if you want a hand in this Waldo's punishment. I know it's a lot to take in right now. I've contacted Niall, but I'm sure Bill also has, in light of their newly found partnership," Eric said in a conspiratorial tone.

Sookie just stayed in Eric's arms, silently sobbing, mourning the loss of her cousin. It wasn't that she was particularly fond of Hadley, but she had certainly been helpful last evening and this evening as well. Her family numbers have diminished significantly in the last couple of weeks and now with Jason missing, she was feeling very much alone. "Any news on Jason?" she asked as she pulled her wet face away from Eric's chest.

"I'm not sure, as I said, there is someone waiting to speak to us upon our return. They may or may not have some news to share on your brother's whereabouts, so why don't we finish up here and head out," Eric said, looking down at her.

"Oh, Eric, look at your shirt. I've made such a terrible mess of you, I'm so sorry!" Sookie blurted out, crying a little harder now, as she took in all the smeared mascara and snot from her nose displayed across his chest.

Eric pulled it off quickly and used it to wipe her face and runny nose, like a father would his small child. "I would gladly buy a thousand new shirts, to never see you cry like that again, Lover," Eric said gently. Then he kissed each of her cheeks, just beneath her eyes and then the tip of her nose. "Now come, let's see what else awaits us on this very long evening," he grabbed her hand and turned them to leave out the door, leading to the garage, shutting the lights off behind them as they went. He led them to the black car and they left, in a much more casual pace than what they arrived in.

Sookie couldn't resist ogling him with his shirt off as they drove silently through the maze of streets, making their way back to downtown and the high-rise building. It stirred a little bit of lust in her, but she tried to tamp it down by reminder herself that she just learned that Hadley was finally dead and the her brother was still missing. "Eric, what do you think I should do about Hadley's killer? What would Sophie-Anne have me do? Stake him in return or something?" Sookie asked, voice wavering just a tad.

"That's probably exactly what she would do. I wouldn't worry about it right now. The Revelation is coming. She'll hold him until then. Perhaps the delay in learning his fate will be even greater a punishment for him," Eric said, grabbing and squeezing her hand gently. "I am sorry that you are having such a traumatic go of things lately. I certainly never anticipated things would get so out of hand when Niall approached me regarding your protection. There's certainly never a dull moment with you around," he tried to lighten the mood a little and it earned him a weak smile from Sookie in return.

"Did I just hear you say 'sorry'? I didn't even know that was in your vocabulary!" she squeezed his hand in return and giggled softly. If felt good to have some other emotion other than worry or sorrow, even if for a brief time.

"Don't tell anyone, it would really ruin my reputation as a murdering badass, you know?" Eric chuckled.

They turned into the parking garage attached to his building and parked away from any entrances. He led Sookie out to a walkway that led to a courtyard of sorts. "Come here, wrap your arms around my waist and hold on. Actually, close your eyes as well, we're going for a little ride," Eric ordered. Sookie complied, not needing to be asked twice to cozy up to Eric Northman, especially without his shirt on. She took a deep breath as she hugged him tight to her and closed her eyes. His scent always made her so calm and peaceful, like a very erotic security blanket. Before she knew it, they had launched up into the night sky. She could feel the cool night air blowing through her hair and the force of gravity creating a bit of wind resistance as they sailed towards the sky, but she didn't dare open her eyes.

They touched down only a second or so later, on the rooftop of his building. "I didn't want to have to deal with everyone and the elevators," he explained, peeling her off his body. "You can open your eyes now, by the way," he chuckled.

"You know what? I think I'm fine right here. Can't we just stay like this for a few minutes before I see what else fate has dropped at my feet tonight?" Sookie asked refusing to open her eyes or completely detach herself from his cool hard chest.

Eric responded by pulling her tight against him again and kissing the top of her head, before resting his cheek there. "I would like nothing more than to stay like this all night, Lover, but this person has been waiting around all evening and I think it would be in all our interests to see what's going on." He could feel all of Sookie's emotion zooming through her; nervousness, desire, fatigue and loneliness, all of which he could identify with. He experimented with pushing feels of strength and courage towards her to see if she would respond. _This bond thing was going to take some getting used to_, he thought.

She immediately responded, pulling away and straightening her posture. "You are right, let's get this over with. The sooner the better." She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her. "I have no idea where, I'm going. Hopefully in the right--- wow! You have a pool up here! Why didn't you tell me before? I would love to come layout by the pool some day," she said excitedly. But then she felt sad, because he probably didn't tell her, because he couldn't protect her out here during the day.

"It's heated too. Perhaps later this evening or tomorrow evening, we can venture in," Eric said, thinking back to what that pool used to be used for, prior to her coming here and wincing. Pam and he really went all out to make this a livable human space. If he ever sold this building, the renovations that he made just up here would make its value nearly twice what he paid for it.

He led Sookie to a set of doors with a keypad and thumb scanner on it and with a series of quick maneuvers they were inside a small foyer that had windows on either side and carpeted in bright red. There was another set of doors a few paces ahead with more security features. "Geez, Eric. I feel like we are in Fort Knox or something with all this security. But I guess it's all necessary, huh?"

"It is now, even more so, that you are here," he said smiling at her. Then they were walking down a short flight of stairs to a final set of doors that actually led into the penthouse, just outside the kitchen and dining area.

"I never realized this hallway was here," Sookie stated looking around. There was a door on either side.

"That's the laundry room," Eric stated, pointing to the right side of the hallway. "And that's an office I really don't use too much. I would stay out of there for now. We don't want any accidental information leaking out as to your whereabouts, should you try and place a call or use the Internet," he said. Although it was weird, because it was almost as if he was implying that she needed to know that stuff was there, in case of an emergency. Sookie wasn't sure why she thought that, it was either something in his expression or an emotion she felt. It was just the tenor of his comments. So she just nodded in acknowledgement and they moved on through the dining room.

Instantly the smell of fairy hit Eric and his nostrils flare and pupils dilated. He squeezed Sookie's hand tighter than he should have and she yelped a little. Within a blink of an eye, a gorgeous, very tall, blonde woman was standing before them, dressed in an incredible emerald green wrap dress and high heels that made her about as tall as Eric.

"Sheriff. Please let go of my cousin's hand, before you hurt her," Claudine Crane said in a sing-song kind of voice. Eric immediately let go of Sookie's hand and walked around to the kitchen area, to put some distance between them.

"You apparently can't suppress your scent the way your grandfather can. It was very dangerous of you to come here, to a building full of vampires and Weres. You must have something very important to say," Eric commented, holding himself back with all the restraint he could muster. His fangs were fully extended and he looked very much like a dangerous, hungry vampire at the moment.

"You are my cousin?" Sookie asked, taken aback by the woman in front of her. "You are a full blooded fairy?"

"Yes. I'm Claudine Crane. Niall is my grandfather, making us second cousins. You must be Sookie. I could tell as soon as I saw you that you were a Brigant, even if only a little bit," Claudine said, moving closer to Sookie. "Do you mind if I hug you?"

"Well, I don't know…The last time I was hugged by a fairy…ahh, things happened," Sookie blushed a deep shade of red and glanced over at Eric.

"Claudine, can I trust that you will bring no harm to Sookie? Give me your word and I will leave you to discuss whatever it is you came for. I'm not sure how much longer I can restraint myself and I really don't want to cause any more pain to Sookie tonight by accidentally draining her cousin in front of her," Eric said.

Sookie remembered Eric telling her that fairies always kept their word. If she hadn't known that fact, she would wonder why Eric would simply require Claudine to promise that no harm would come to Sookie. That wouldn't be very good protector logic.

"Oh! I give you my word that I am here in no way to harm my lovely cousin. I have word regarding her brother and I've come to ask a favor. Can you stay long enough to hear me out? I can simply pop away if it becomes too much for you," Claudine stated.

Eric nodded, his jaw tightening, a sign of the struggle he was having maintaining his distance.

Sookie and Claudine moved over by the bank of windows overlooking the city. Claudine took Sookie's hands in hers and looked sadly into her eyes. "I am one-third of a set of triplets," she began. "Me, my sister and brother all live in Monroe. My sister and brother work at Hooligan's, that stripper bar in town, you know it?" she asked. Sookie just nodded, steeling her resolve for what she surely felt was more bad news.

"Well, a couple of nights ago, your brother came to the bar with a bunch of his friends. Claudette, my sister, was working the door, collecting the cover charge and checking ID's. She noticed right away that your brother was a Brigant.

"We fairies just know these things, especially when it comes to relatives," she paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Well, Claudette was real curious now, because several weeks ago, Niall had asked us to investigate the murder of an Adele Stackhouse. He never explained why and we are not in the position to question the Prince, so we just did it.

"So, seeing Jason's ID made the connection for her between Jason Stackhouse and Adele and realized that Adele must have been either a lover of Niall's or one of the other Brigant men. So, later after the bar closed, she went to Jason's house to ask him about what he knew about us and Niall," her breathing hitched a little, but she continued, "But when she got there, his front door was wide open and she smelled the scent of panther or some type of were-animal.

"When she turned to go, she was ambushed by someone and was killed!" Claudine said, letting a little sob escape her throat. But then she squared her shoulders and continued on, "My brother Claude and I found out about you and that you are a telepath, aside from being fairy and obviously having the essential spark," she said, eyeing Sookie up and down, "Yes, definitely. Anyway, will you help us?"

"Wait, how do you know all of this if Claudette was killed at Jason's?" Sookie asked, obviously feeling like she missed some detail. "And what do you need my help with? I kind of have enough going on in my own life at the moment – not that I'm not saddened to hear yet another relative of mine is dead, but, you know, I'm just a bit overwhelmed with everything that's going on…"

"Well, Claudette came to us in spirit form and told us so," Claudine said, "It's a chance for us to bid a final farewell before moving on to the Summerlands."

"So if she told you all of this after she was killed, what do you need my help for?" Sookie asked.

"Well, she didn't exactly tell us everything. We knew what she was up to, that she had gone to Jason's. She came to us when she died and so Claude immediately drove us up to Jason's house, where we smelled the were-animals ourselves and found her dust.

"From there we were able to catch several of those foul beasts and we have some in a house not far from here. We were hoping maybe you could read their thoughts for us, find out if they know anything about her death? Can you read 'were' minds?" Claudine asked.

"So Jason was already missing by the time Claudette got to his house you think? Or you are just assuming all this because of what you found when you arrived at his house?" Sookie asked, avoiding answering Claudine's question just yet.

"Well, when we got there, Jason's front door was open. We found Claudette's remains out back on a deck that surrounds the pond. So, we are assuming since she was out there and not inside, that Jason was not home at the time and she was looking around the property for him," Claudine said. It made sense to Sookie.

"Eric, what do you think? I don't even know what were-animals are. Have I read any of them in front of you, without my knowing?" Sookie turned to look at Eric. He was now visibly shaking from trying to restraint himself.

"Yes. The night I brought you here, my driver was a Were and you read him, remember? I think with the help of my blood, you would definitely be able to read them.

"Claudine, bring them here. I have a room downstairs, we can use to get the appropriate information out of them. I'll make sure that only my non-vampire guards are around and I'll keep myself and the rest of my contingent nearby in another room, so you should be safe from us.

"We might be able to find out who has your brother Sookie, as well as who murdered your cousin. And in return, you can do us a favor, Ms. Crane…" Eric proposed.

"What's that tall, blond and dead? You want some of our blood or something?" she asked, a bit irritated that Sookie looked to him before answering her.

Eric disregarded her blatant dig at his being vampire, "Perhaps you could provide some daytime coverage for Sookie, should she need it? You do realize that Niall has put her under my protection for the time being. And now that we are bonded, I am even more vested in her well being. It would serve Sookie well, if she could move among the living and during daylight, now and then. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh! Most definitely. I would be honored to watch my dear cousin on my days off. I'm sure Claude would agree too, if she can help us get justice tonight.

"Boy, you guys moved fast. Bonded already?" Claudine said, waggling her eyebrows. That made Sookie blush again.

"Long story. Anyway, yes -- do whatever y'all need to do to get these things, men, whatever they are here and I'll try my best to read them for you. As for the bonding, it really wasn't either our choice, but that story is for another time. I suggest you go before poor Eric breaks the kitchen over there," Sookie said, letting go of Claudine's hands and stepping away.

"Oh! Thank you, thank you, dear cousin. I knew you'd do it!" Claudine said, giving Sookie a suffocating hug. "I'll call you, Sheriff, when we are on our way back. Oh, this is just wonderful," she said, as she stepped back away from Sookie and 'poofed' away.

"Well, they sure know how to make an entrance or exit, huh, Eric?" Sookie said, looking over to the kitchen, but Eric was no longer there.

"OK. Apparently he does too…" she said shaking her head and going over to the couch and plopping down. This had seriously been one hell of an evening. She kind of felt that feeling was on repeat with everything she had gone through the last few days. From the moment Eric walked into Merlotte's, each night has been progressively getting more entertaining and not in a good way. No one would believe her, if she told them of all she had seen and been through.

A few minutes passed before Pam arrived. "Sookie, the Master has requested you be brought down to the meeting room. What have you gotten yourself into now?" she asked.

"Oh, Pam. I don't think we have enough time for me to get into it…but the short of it is, that I'm supposed to read some 'Were's' to find out who killed my fairy cousin, Claudette and hopefully find out who may have my brother in the process," Sookie explained.

"You seemed to be losing family member's left and right, Sookie. You all must be living wrong," she stated in that bored Pam tone.

"Geez. Thanks for your sympathy, Pam," Sookie said, rolling her eyes, as they stepped off the elevator and headed for same room she read Long Shadows employees the other night.

Eric was there, looking a little rosier than he had earlier. She wasn't sure what to make of that, but walked in and greeted him. "So where are you all going to be while Claude and Claudine are here?" Sookie asked, trying not to make eye contact with Eric. He was giving off a weird vibe.

"We'll be right next door. You should have nothing to worry about. Fairies are quite fierce and should be able to handle anything. Besides, I'll sense by your emotions if something is going wrong. Were's are tough, but nothing any of us can't handle, even in our weakness moments," Eric said with a grin. _Mister confident_, Sookie thought.

Eric's cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. "Yes? Perfect," he said, snapping the phone shut. "They are here. We'll head next door now," he motioned for Pam, Maxwell Lee and Chow to vacate the room. He moved to kiss Sookie on the forehead, but she abruptly turned her back to him and walked away. She couldn't put her finger on what it was, but she suddenly felt like Eric had betrayed her in some way and it made her uncomfortable. He was still sending out that weird vibe to, that she swore was guilt.

She heard the door click shut and then a minute later, knocking at the same door. She walked over and opened it, her eyes widening as she took in the group assembled before her. First in line was who she assumed to be Claude, because he looked nearly exactly like Claudine, except that his hair was just a little bit shorter and his shoulders a little broader. Claudine had said they were triplets, but it didn't occur to Sookie that they could have been _identical_.

In either hand, he had gripped two men that could have passed for long-haul truckers or any other manual laborers, with their flannel shirts rolled up to their elbows, grease-stained jeans and steel toed boots. They had been bound with nylon cord and gagged. Next was Claudine, in her pretty dress and heels, holding two more men, in a similar fashion, both bound and gagged and oddly enough, wearing the same type of clothing.

Sookie stepped back from the doorway and let them all in. The 'were's' were tossed into the seats that had been arranged for this meeting. Sookie looked from them back to Claude and Claudine.

"So, this is the one, huh? She doesn't seem like the vamper type. And she's so trusting," Claude said to his sister.

"Sookie, this is Claude, my brother," Claudine said by way of introduction.

She held out her hand and surprisingly, he took it and shook, smirking a little. "Well, let's get on with it, shall we? I don't necessarily like being in a building full of vampires, you know?" Claude stated.

Sookie walked over to the first were and yanked out the gag. "Do you know what I am?" She asked him, curious if telepaths were as common as the rest of them seemed to be.

"Well, you ain't no vamp and you don't look like one of them, so no and I don't right care, neither," spat number one.

Sookie nodded and put her hands on either side of his face. It helped focus his thoughts, so that she was just hearing his and not the others in the room. Oddly, his mind was red and snarly, like static on a TV, but she could make out things if she concentrated enough. "Did you killed Claudette Crane – the fairy?" Sookie asked point blank.

She immediately got an image of another woman, who could have been Claudine, but she had wavy hair and had way more makeup on then was necessary for such a beautiful woman. She was also dressed a bit more provocative than Sookie would have, but being that she worked at a strip club, it sort of made sense. So, number one had definitely seen her.

"Was she with Jason – Stackhouse when you saw her?" Sookie asked, thinking that if she brought up her brother's name, he might think something about his whereabouts. But she just saw a flash of Claudette standing out back by the pond and two shadows approaching her from behind. They looked like large cats or something. She immediately dropped her hands, stuck the gag back in his mouth before he could say anything to her and moved to the next one.

Number two, she didn't bother to ungag. She simply put her hands on his face and repeated her questioning, "Did you kill Claudette, the fairy?"

This one was definitely one of the cat shadows, because he was thinking of how he grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her down, while the other cat grabbed her legs. Sookie wondered why she hadn't just 'poofed' at that point, like Claudine did earlier. Then she saw a third shadow appear out of the woods. It was a man. She couldn't tell if he was a vampire or a fairy or what, but he had a large knife in his hand. It slid through her like she was warm butter. Then the cats let her go and she immediately started to fade into glittery dust.

She moved to number three and repeated all the same processes, except this time she asked him a couple of different questions. "Why didn't Claudette just poof when she was knocked down? And who was the man with the knife?"

He showed her through his memory how the man with the knife insisted the two chosen to attack her, eat and rub themselves with lemons. They bathed themselves in lemon juice and chased shot after shot of what appeared to be more juice, making sure it was saturated in their mouths. Then she watched with amazement as they shifted from man to beast. _So that's why they were called__ were-animals, huh. Who would have thought!_ She guessed that's what Sam looked like too, since Eric told her he was a shifter.

She moved on to the last person and repeated the same process for a final time. She asked, "Who was the man with the knife? Why were you all there in the first place?" She saw the man closer this time, in the were's memory and he was definitely vampire. She saw a hint of fang, when he spoke to the group of weres. Then he flashed to a photo the man held up of Jason. So obviously they were there looking for Jason, but found a fairy to kill instead. How did they know to come prepared with lemons, she wondered? So, she asked him and he started to mumble instead of thinking the answer, so she pulled his gag out.

"We were told the kid we were looking for was part fairy and that fairies were allergic to lemons and iron, so the guy came all prepared, just in case he gave us a hard time. We weren't supposed to kill him, just rough him up a little and bring him to a meeting point in Shreveport. But he wasn't there…" the guy panted, obviously afraid of what was going to happen next.

Sookie put the gag back in his mouth and explained all that she had learned from these guys to the twins. "What will you do with them now?" Sookie asked, not wanting to be responsible for someone's painful death.

"We'll kill them and eat them," Claude said with a menancing smile. It seemed he had very sharp, razor like teeth, upon closer inspection. Sookie shivered a bit and shook her head.

"Can't you just turn them over to the police?" Sookie asked, unnerved by her cousin's scary appearance.

"And how would we explain this all to the humans, silly girl?" Claudine said with a laugh. "We'll handle everything from here. You just worry about finding where your brother ran off to," she said to Sookie, giving her a hug. "Now off we go, you guys," she said cheerily to the weres, who she lifted up without so much as a grimace.

"Sookie, do you mind being a dear and getting the door for us? We'll be out of your hair now. And Oh! I almost forgot…I'll call you later this week and we can go for lunch and a little shopping, how about that? We'll get to know all about each other!" Claudine beamed.

Claude smiled an awkward smile at Sookie and said his thanks as they walked out the door.

Sookie was left standing alone in the room. She wondered what she was supposed to do now. She leaned out in the hallway, looking to her left and to her right. She didn't see anyone, so she headed to the elevators, pushing the up button. It arrived in a blink of an eye, but it occurred to her that she didn't have the credentials to get up to the penthouse.

She stepped in anyway and looked at the control panel. This car had a hand scanner and a button marked P and L. She figured P meant 'penthouse', so she hit it and placed her hand on the scanner. Instantly the doors shut and the car shot straight up, sending her stomach to her toes.

The doors briskly opened and she stepped off into the foyer. _Huh, well, I guess that worked. I wonder how they got my hand print scanned in_, she thought.

She walked with a heavy heart over to the bedroom dresser drawers, looking for some pajamas to slide into, then she headed over to the bathroom and proceeded to take a heavenly shower. When she was finished, she crawled into the very plush bed and feel into a deep, deep sleep.

When she woke, the sun was shining in through the bank of windows. It occurred to her that this was the first time she had seen this space during the day. _Day! I wonder where Eric is?_ _Probably in__ his resting place…I hope._ It made her a little sad to know that she wouldn't see him until the evening and that they didn't sleep together. This was the first time since she'd been there that she hadn't stayed with him in his resting place.

She got up, stretched and tended to her personal morning routine. Then she headed to the kitchen, excited that she could actually have a normal meal, at normal hours. She found a note on the counter, in a very elegant scripted print.

_Lover – You didn't wait for me downstairs and when I arrived, you were sound asleep. I have made arrangements for you to have daytime guards if you wish to go outside today. Please do so cautiously. I trust my selection in security, but they don't have the same vested interest, I do, so use your daytime wisely. They will call you on this phone to let you know their availability. You will not be able to make outbound calls, so don't get any ideas._

_-- _E.

Sookie found the cell phone underneath the letter and looked at it to see if she'd missed any calls, which she hadn't. Then she went about making her coffee and breakfast. She was thinking over everything from last night and she still couldn't help but feel something was off with Eric. And she was a bit annoyed at his high-handedness over the guards and not allowing her to make phone calls. She needed to find out what happened to her brother and she wanted to know how her house was…if her cat was being fed, how Sam and the bar were. She missed all of that stuff, even more now that things had gotten so out of control.

As she was washing up her dishes, the cell phone started vibrating. She picked it up and answered cautiously, "Hello?"

"Ms. Stackhouse, this is Alcide Herveaux. I am one of your daytime guards. Would you be needing our services today?"

Sookie really hadn't thought about it, but it sure did look nice out and there was that great pool on the roof. "You know what, I was thinking it would be nice to get some sun. Maybe lay out on the roof by the pool. Would you have to come guard me, for that?" she asked, not sure of the protocol.

"Oh yes, m'am. Anything that requires you outside of the residence, must be covered by guards. We'll be up in 10 minutes. Please expect us."

"OK," she said, wondering if she could find a swimsuit to put on. She threw the phone back on the counter and ran to the dresser draws again, looking through the various sections until she came up with a very skimpy royal blue bikini with matching sarong. Then she ran to the bathroom to change and look through the closet in there for a beach towel and lotion. She hit the jackpot including a pair of designer sunglasses, that kind of reminded her of Jackie Onassis.

When she emerged from the bathroom, two large men with dark curly hair and emerald green eyes were standing there, nearly towering of her, like a wall of muscle.

"Oh my! Hi there! I'm Sookie. You must be Alcide?" she asked, a bit taken by his incredibly good looks.

"Yes and this is Cal Myers. Nice to meet you Ms. Stackhouse," Alcide said, as they both took a little too long staring at her breasts, before meeting her eyes. _Men, s_he thought.

"Please, call me Sookie. Can I get you anything before we head out?" she asked, playing the southern hostess.

"No. We're fine, thanks," Alcide replied. Sookie wondered what they were. She could sort of read their thoughts, but they were a bit snarly like the weres from last night. Maybe they were weres too.

She walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water to add to the book, lotion and towel she already had in her hands and walked towards the doors Eric had brought her through last night. When she reached them, she realized she had no idea any of the security codes and she couldn't handle them anyway, with the mess she had going on in her hands.

Alcide stepped forward and got the doors open for her. Apparently, being her bodyguard, he was privy to the codes to get in and out.

Sookie made her way to the pool and found several comfy looking lounge chairs spread around that she hadn't noticed last night. Huh. She chose one and performed her ritual of rubbing tanning lotion over her before spreading out her towel and lying back to relax. She noticed that Alcide and Cal stood in the shade but never took their eyes off her. She caught a bit of Cal's thought, thinking that this was the best job he'd ever taken for vampires before, but wondered what was so special about her, other than her rack, that warranted daytime guards.

Part of her wanted to tell him exactly why, but she realized the less people knew about her, the better off everyone would be.

After a while of sunning herself, reading and swimming, she dozed off. She was having quite a heated dream about her Viking vampire when a cough woke her up. Apparently, she had moaned some in her sleep and was getting the guys aroused with her antics. _How embarrassing!_

She quickly gathered up her things and told them they were dismissed for the day, as they headed back inside. It was late afternoon anyway and she probably would just shower, eat lunch and wait for Eric to rise.

As they were walking back into the residence, she caught Alcide thinking that perhaps Eric had asked her to lay outside so that he could smell the sunshine on her skin. She hadn't thought about that, but that was a great idea. So she decided she wouldn't shower until after he woke up. Maybe they could resolve whatever it was that went on between them last night. She didn't want to go on feeling like she couldn't trust the one person she had, up to this point. It was too lonely a thought.

She dozed off again after lunch and woke with such an ache for Eric that she felt compelled to try and make her way to his resting place. It wasn't until she got to the first secured doorway that she realized she would never make it there on her own. She sunk down to the floor and started to cry. It was probably another thirty minutes to sunset, but she ached everywhere for him. What was wrong with her?

The next thing she knew the doors were bursting open and Eric was picking her up in his arms and kissing her for all she was worth.

"Lover, what is the matter? What are you doing here? Did someone hurt you?" Eric asked, anxiously looking her over for any signs of physical harm.

"No. I don't know, I just woke from my nap feeling so disturbed that you weren't there that I needed to see you, no matter what. I know that sounds crazy. I feel crazy for thinking it, for crying about it. What's wrong with me?" she sobbed.

Eric knew exactly what was wrong with her. It was his feelings she felt. He rose earlier than sunset, panicked that she was not by his side, until he remembered that she was asleep when he came up to get her last night. She looked so peaceful that he didn't want to wake her. Especially after her horrible day. And he was feeling guilty about the fact that he took another's blood after Claudine's visit.

Chow had a 'donor' that had just serviced him and Pam and was walking her out the door when Eric arrived. He needed to vent his frustration out on someone and she was the unlucky one. He couldn't understand why he felt so guilty once he saw Sookie, but it felt like he had dishonored her somehow by taking another's blood. He didn't say anything to the others, he was vampire afterall and taking blood was how they lived. He could just hear Pam calling him 'Pussy Whipped'.

When he woke, he missed her terribly and ached to have her warm body curled next to him. He paced in his room cursing the day he was made, because it was preventing him from being with her. The bond must have projected his feelings into her, causing her to become an emotional mess.

They reached the upstairs just as the sun fully set. He placed her on her feet and took in what she was wearing. She was still dressed in her bikini and sarong from earlier, wanting to give him the full affect.

"What are you wearing? Were you out in the sun today?" Eric asked.

"Yes. Alcide and Cal came by and stayed outside with me while I got some sun. It was so nice to feel the warmth on my skin and the pool was awesome. We should definitely try it this evening, if you have time," she said timidly, feeling again that something wasn't right between them.

"You let the Weres see you dressed like this?" Eric asked in an angry tone.

"Yes. That was what they were instructed to do, right? Escort me anywhere outside the suite?"

"So I paid them to stare at my half-naked bonded all day? What-the-fuck, Sookie?!" Eric roared.

Sookie was scared now. She backed away slowly, not wanting to be near him, when he was like this. His eyes actually started to glow a little red from his anger. "You're mad because I was outside in the sun or because I was wearing this bathing suit? You know it wasn't my choice. It was what was in my dresser. I just wore what you have provided for me. What's wrong with that?" Sookie stammered still walking backwards, while Eric stalked forwards.

"What's wrong is that you were outside, showing your assets to god knows who. You are mine!" Eric growled.

"Hold on a second buster! Where is all this possessiveness coming from? I knew I should have changed before you woke up! But I was trying to give you a gift…to let you smell the sunshine on my skin, to let you know that I thought about you all day, especially while I was out by the pool. I even had a naughty dream about you. I wanted you to get the whole picture, but instead your throwing it in my face! How dare you?!" Sookie turned. She didn't want him to see her shed another tear over this. She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door, locking it.

Silly Sookie, locked doors never kept a vampire from what they desire.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks again for all the love! I can't tell you have grateful I am for everyone's kind words, encouragement and theories! Keep them coming! My muse is a greedy bitch and needs all the reviews you can muster. :)) **

**Disclaimer remains the same…twisty and deceptive thoughts as well as any mistakes are my own!

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_**The Night Sookie Leaves the Queen's Estate**_

Sophie-Anne waited several seconds for Sookie and her entourage to leave. Then she took a long, appraising look at Hadley and Bill. "Andre tells me that you were both assembled in the Sheriff's room this evening. I would hate to think that you were all gathered to meet regarding my plans for Ms. Stackhouse. You know, that would nearly be considered a treasonous act," the Queen warned.

Hadley spoke up first, "My Queen," she began, head bowed respectfully, "I was simply checking in on my cousin, who had a pretty eventful evening. She seemed fairly distraught over bonding with the Sheriff."

Then Bill chimed in, "Eric had asked me to stop by to give him a report on the condition of Sookie's family home. She has not been there for several days and she expressed concern over her cat and mail collecting unnecessarily. He was also inquiring about my financial resources, what I planned on doing in Bon Temps to bring in money to the area and in return to you. He is unaware of our special project still," he explained, glancing quickly at Hadley, realizing he may have let a little detail slip that she didn't need to know about.

"You know I think you're both full of shit, but since I have no proof and have to trust that my child and lover wouldn't do anything to harm me, nor you Compton, I will excuse you both. However, Hadley, you will not be going to rest with me at sunrise. Find alternate arrangement in the guest quarters. Compton, I expect you to return to Bon Temps promptly and keep an eye on Sookie for me. Notify me immediately of anything unusual," and with a wave of her hand they were dismissed.

"Hadley," Bill whispered, "Please be careful. I know we don't know each other that well, but I sense something is up and I don't trust either of them right now. I know you are very young and may not understand our ways fully. The Queen can be quite ruthless, never mind what twisted things Andre could dream up. We are on the same side. You can trust me," he finished, nodding curtly to her before walking off in the opposite direction.

Hadley made her way to the wing of guest suites and rooms where other, less important vampires lived. It was rumored some of them used to be like her, favorites of the Queen, but for one reason or another, they were brushed aside and wound up here. She was disappointed that only about a month or so into becoming vampire, she was already on the shit list. A very small part of her regretted getting involved with Niall and Sookie, but she knew it was the right thing to do in the end and if it made her less desirable to the Queen, she could handle that. She was so far ahead of where she was a month ago that this was like a vacation on a cruise ship.

She looked around to see if there was anyone to ask about room assignments. There was low-level noise coming from an open area at the end of the hall, so she went to investigate. Rounding a corner, she found an almost amusing sight. It was like the island of misfit toys. Several vampires of various ethnic backgrounds, shapes, sizes and gender were gathered in what humans would call a game room. Some were shooting pool; others were watching porn on the wall-mounted flat screen and the rest were sitting at a small round table playing poker.

They all looked up when she made her appearance known. "Hi, I am Hadley. I was wondering if any of you knew which rooms were available. I need a daytime resting place just for a day or two."

"Oh, that's rich! Aren't you the bitch that's been fucking Sophie-Anne for the last month now? And you've already done something to piss her off?! Not smart girl, not smart at all. But hey, you can stay with me if you want," said a greasy haired vampire, whom Hadley couldn't decipher whether it was man or woman. But the person's attitude pissed her off. She didn't need someone taunting her about being in the dog house.

"I think I'll pass. I was just being polite, but perhaps I should just go claim a room and leave you all to your very _exciting_ evening," she snarked. Who-the-hell were they to say anything to her about her relationship to the Queen. She abruptly turned and walked back towards the rooms. She just rounded the corner again when she came face to face with Andre.

"Jesus, Andre," Hadley gasped. She should have heard or smelled him before she saw him, but he just appeared out of nowhere, like a ghost.

"Hadley, dear. Just the vampire I was looking for. Come, walk with me. I'll help you find a suitable room," Andre said, in mock consideration.

They took only a few steps before Andre stopped in front of an open doorway and held his hand out for Hadley to enter the room first. The hair on the back of her neck was raised. She did not trust Andre for anything, even though he was in all purposes her 'brother' or blood-sibling.

She walked in a few paces and then turned to make sure he didn't have a stake in his hand or anything, behind her. He gave her a slight fake smile before returning to his natural stoic expression.

"I wanted to talked to you further about your discussion with Sookie and the Sheriff. As Sophie-Anne said, I think your little _excuse_ was a bunch of malarkey. What is really going on? _You_ were supposed to be the one helping _me_ obtain the blood bond, remember?" Andre said in a hiss.

"Yes, Andre. I remember the plan perfectly. _You_ were the one who went off cue and sent me to get her 'refreshments'. If you had just stuck to the original plan, she would be bonded to _you_ right now. I was simply trying to make nice with her and the Viking, so they would feel comfortable around me, should Sophie-Anne need any extra leverage. Trust is _earned_ Andre and your behavior last night left the chance of that happening, being as close as hell freezing over," Hadley said defiantly, crossing her hands over her chest and cocking her hip out, resting her weight to one side. She was not going to let this little creep intimidate her while they were alone. She would go down fighting if she had to.

"Well, I can't put my finger on it, but I just _know_ you are up to something and I don't think it is any good for Sophie-Anne. For your sake, whatever it is, I hope she doesn't catch you because it won't be pretty," he said, turning and leaving her alone in the room.

She slammed the door and went over to plop down on the edge of the bed, reaching for the TV remote to tune out her thoughts. But before she could relax any, there was a knock at the door. She quickly got up, tensing for another round with Andre, but it wasn't him. It was a tall, lanky fellow, who was very white, even for a vampire, with red eyes and withered skin. He smiled, but it was the kind that made Hadley's insides churn. She had too many run-ins with guys that smiled like that, while she was living on the streets.

"Hi, I'm Waldo. I was the Queen's favorite the night she brought you home. You probably don't remember me, but I thought maybe you could use a friend. I know what its like to be on the outs with her and those guys are all a bunch of bastards," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the misfits down the hall. "Say, have you eaten tonight? Would you like to go hunting with me? We won't be able to do it much longer with the Revelation coming. It's such an adrenaline rush. Have you ever been?" he asked rather excitedly…well as excited as a vampire ever gets.

"Umm. I haven't had any blood this evening. It's been kind of crazy. I've never been hunting either. Usually I just drink from one of the glamoured humans Sophie-Anne keeps around or from her, herself. Is it very hard – to you know, umm, hunt?" Hadley asked, curious in a morbid way, of what it would be like to hunt. She was feeling pretty down and could really use an ally right about now.

"Come on, I'll teach you! It's all instinctual. We'll go to one of the Cities of the Dead. There's always tourists and pick-pockets and other lowly types around there in the evening. Too many to choose from really! It won't be hard at all, especially being your first time," Waldo said encouragingly.

Hadley nodded her agreement and they went on their way. Hadley never saw it coming.

Once news got back to the palace that Waldo had staked Hadley, the Queen was in an outrage. She was storming around the grounds, streaks of bright red blood, staining wavy lines down her porcelain cheeks. Anyone or anything in her way became an instant casualty. "Find out why he did it! I want to know, Andre! Bring him to my special room and don't do anything. Just leave him there until I'm ready," Sophie-Anne ordered. And because he was her child, he had to obey exactly as she wished.

After being so hastily dismissed by the Queen, Bill decided to stick around and enjoy some of the spoils of her building. He found a couple of nice blonde, curvaceous humans that unknowingly lived as donors in the compound and had his way with them. Oddly enough, he it struck him how much they resembled the one buxom blonde that everyone was after these days. Had she weaved some kind of spell on them all?

He was just cleaning up when he heard the commotion. News of Hadley's final death was spreading like wild fire and creating a sort of frenzy. He had never seen nor heard of the Queen going quite so ballistic. He felt no sadness himself over her loss, but was quite certain that whoever was truly responsible for her death, would not meet such a quick and decisive end. He immediately phoned the number Niall had left him.

"This is William Compton, may I speak with the Prince?" Bill inquired to the person who answered the line.

"Please hold…" came the reply.

"Compton, what word do you bring?" Niall promptly responded.

"Prince," Bill paused, unsure on how to proceed, "I'm afraid something has happened to Hadley this evening. A most unfortunate event." Bill went on to explain what details he had learned from the gossip. He also relayed his suspicions that Waldo was not the mastermind behind the plot. Although on the surface, jealousy may have been an easy excuse, staking another of your kind was not something vampires did over petty feelings. They were usually much more cunning in their ways of retribution. Bill told Niall that he was sure Andre was ultimately behind her execution. Especially after being caught in the Sheriff's room earlier and the stern warning the Queen had given them both.

Niall was outraged over Bill's news, but being a Prince, he was never one to show emotion. "How is the equipment working out for you Compton? Did everything arrive safely and to your specifications?" Part of the deal Bill made with Niall was that the Prince would become the major financier of the supposedly secret database the Queen approved his work on.

Once Bill had approached Sophie-Anne on it, she had been micro-managing him and it was prohibiting him from getting any serious work done. And she expected him to invest all of his own capital, while taking the majority of the profits. This was just one sore spot among several Bill had regarding the Queen. He was happy to be away from her constant meddling, now that he had actually moved to Bon Temps, even if it was originally for a human. He was even happier that he had decided to work with Niall. He was able to get all the best equipment and really start proper work on his vampire family tree database. It would be quite valuable, especially if the Revelation went as smoothly as most suspected.

"Yes, Prince. Everything has worked out marvelously. Thank you again. I have already gotten a great start on my compilation," Bill replied.

"Great. This is good news, Compton. And now I need to ask you to find someone for me. I need to find a vampire, someone in a position of power, that would be able to successfully take over Louisiana – say – should the need arise. Do you understand what I'm asking you?" Niall asked, plotting his next move.

Bill hesitated, trying to figure out what Niall was actually asking of him. "Well of course, I'll get right on it. Give me as many specifications as you require of this vampire and I'll create a query on the data I already have available. I'm certain I can come up with a short list for you."

They spent the next several nights in contact with one another, until a short list of potential suitors for the royal position of Louisiana was selected.

Meanwhile, the same night Hadley met her final death, Eric was trying to figure out who had given him and Sookie chase from the airfield. His contacts at the police station where unable to provide much information because almost as soon as they were booked on felony speeding, a person whose information wound up being false, bailed out the Weres responsible. And of course the bail was paid in cash, leaving no trail behind.

Then there was the whole disaster of Claudine Crane's visit. Eric was so distraught over the amount of restraint he needed to refrain from draining her dry in front of Sookie, that he nearly took the life of another human woman in her place. Luckily, Chow and Maxwell Lee were around. As it was, the woman had to be glamoured in such a way that she might never really be the same. And for that, he would wind up employing her at one of his businesses, just to make up for it.

To top it all off, he felt an emotion he had never felt in his 1000 years as vampire…guilt. He was simply overwrought with it, as soon as he laid eyes on Sookie. It wasn't guilt over how he treated the woman, but the fact that he drank another's blood. Was it part of the bond that made him feel this way? He couldn't be sure, but the minute she turned away from his attempt to kiss her, he knew she sensed it too. If she began to not trust him, it would make it that much harder to keep her safe. He had to find out what was making this bond so different from any he had ever heard of or witnessed.

Once Sookie was done with her part of questioning the Weres, Eric arranged for Claude and Claudine to hand them over to him. Through an intercom system hooked to the room they were all in, the assembled vampires had learned what Sookie was able to ascertain from the captives. The fact that a vampire was responsible for the blatant death of a fairy, was not unheard of. But, what was important in this case, was that the dead fairy was a daughter of the Brigant line, making it just a little more dangerous -- coupled with the fact that they were actually there to retrieve Jason for some unknown reason, gave everyone a little pause.

Eric did not enjoy the call he placed to Niall, describing what they all had learned. "First my granddaughter Hadley was killed tonight, now you are informing me that a vampire was behind the death of Claudette as well? This is disappointing indeed, Vampire. Is this not your area of responsibility? How are these things happening under your watch? Perhaps it is best if I involve a few more of my trusted staff to assist you in protecting Sookie. Especially if she is now required to return to the Queen on the eve of the Revelation. She will need to be guarded 24/7 from here on out, without exception. You will work side by side with who I assign to protect her, understand?" Niall nearly shouted and fairies don't shout.

"Niall, how do you expect us to work with fairies? Be reasonable," Eric shuddered, thinking there was no way he could go through that experience every night.

"You let me worry about the logistics of that. You just make certain that Sookie remains safely with you. I'll be in touch," Niall finished.

Eric went to his daytime rest more stressed then he could remember. In a few days time, everything had gone from boring and mundane to one crisis after another. He was worried about failing in his protection of Sookie and of all the scheming and plotting going on around him. Vampires were twisty and deceptive by definition, but the plots that were unfolding around him seemed to take that to a whole new level. The worst part was that they were all somehow pointing to this one partial-fairy girl – his bonded. He drifted away as the sun rose, with a deep longing and despair over that one girl.

When he rose for the evening, he was overwhelmed with even more intense feelings than he had before death had claimed him that morning. He actually missed her being there with him. In a matter of a few days, this tiny woman had managed to break down all the barriers he had in place since puberty. His upbringing as a Viking and later the training from his Master assured he would never be able to feel the feelings, he was obviously feeling now. What was it about her – about their connection to one another? Did she feel it too, he wondered.

He didn't have time to wonder and stew over it for long, because he felt her presence close…too close for her safety. She wouldn't have tried to come to him would she? He panicked and left the safety of his chamber without even a second thought of his own welfare. He had to make sure she was well.

When he found her outside the last set of secured entryways, he was relieved and concerned all at the same time. Was she hurt? Had someone tried to get to her in the daytime? What of her guards he had arranged for? Where were they? All his questions were answered, once he had her in his arms. Then his questions turned to anger and jealousy.

She had spent the afternoon, barely dressed, in front of the Were guards, sunning herself and rubbing lotion all over her body. He imagined her standing on the steps of the pool, facing them, dripping with the cool droplets of pool water as they cascaded from the ends of her hair, to the tops of her supple breasts, in between that heavenly valley. He saw her in his mind's eye, licking her luscious lips and giving them flirtatious glances. He wanted to tear something apart and unfortunately, the cause of his rage was standing before him. They had words and she ran, locking herself in the bathroom. How many times had he told her not to run from him -- that it only set off his instincts to pursue. Yet, he could hardly blame her, he was sure he looked ferocious.

He started pounding on the locked bathroom door, shouting, "Sookie! Open the damned door!" _He would not be denied_!

"Eric, you are scaring me and until you calm down, I will not open this door," Sookie bravely responded. She was shaking with fear. She had no idea what set him off so. One minute he was lovingly looking her over for injuries, worried that she had been hurt while he was dead to the world -- kissing her even. The next minute he was freaking out over the fact that she only did what was expected of her… allowing the guards to be with her while she spent a little time outside.

"You will open this door or I will! And you won't _like_ how I'm planning on doing that," Eric growled.

"Take your jealous _ass_ and leave before I do something I regret!" she spat back at him. She could feel the energy gathering around her. This was the first time she was really aware of it and it scared her almost as much as Eric was scaring her. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she didn't think it would end well.

Her threat broke his resolve and in a sound that sent shivers down her spine, the door was ripped off its hinges and splintered into pieces.

Even though she was scared out of her mind, she couldn't help but admire the beauty of the beast standing before her. He stood there, gripping the sides of the doorway, not a stitch of clothing on and each of his muscles dancing under his skin, itching for a fight. She wondered if this is how Vikings looked to the women whose villages were being pillaged, while they tried in vain to escape.

"Eric," she gasped, afraid of what he was going to do next. He could feel her panic and fear of him, through their bond. She closed her eyes and cowered against the wall because she didn't want to see what was going to happen next. Her magic was still simmering around her, but her fear had made her lose focus.

"You have the nerve to threaten an angry vampire, who is over a thousand years old, but you won't look him in the eye?" Eric remarked, not moving from the doorway.

For some reason that made her want to laugh. He was right. She had just threatened him, but now she wouldn't face him – to even try to defend herself. Was she just going to surrender? Her eyes snapped open and focused back on him. He was still very angry, but something had changed. She was angry now too, perhaps it was shared anger because of the bond.

Her chest was heaving, as she tried to steady her breath. They were in some sort of standoff, just staring at each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. Then in a blink of an eye, he released his hold on the doorframe and was instantly in front of her, hands braced against the wall on either side of her head. He leaned over her, placing his head down against her neck, taking a deep inhale. She thought he was going to bite her and just end it all right there, but then he brought his head up and locked eyes with her again.

"Why would you want to give me a gift, Sookie? I'm nothing more than an animal, can't you see that?"

"Ummm. Yes, thanks for reminding me in such a subtle way," she remarked, feeling a bit calmer now that he was away from her jugular.

"You did not let the Weres touch you?" he asked, moving his right hand to brush some hair off her left shoulder. He cocked his eyebrow, expecting an immediate answer.

"Eww," Sookie said, "Why would I let some strangers touch me. I'm the 24-year old telepathic, part-fairy virgin, remember? I don't let _anyone_ touch me…well aside from _you_…" she trailed off. "Cut to the chase Eric. Are you going to kill me or not? I can't stand much more of this before my heart gives out."

Eric laughed. It was short and unfunny. "I am not going to harm you."

"Well, if you aren't going to hurt me, why did you rip down the door? I could feel your anger…no fury, is more like it."

Eric shrugged, a very human gesture. "Because you ran from me, shut me out and then threatened me. I am a Viking and a vampire. What did you expect?" It was perfectly logical…to him.

"Sookie, you must understand that we are bonded now. You are _mine_ and in the Supe world, wearing what you are wearing," he emphasized what little she had on by sliding his finger under the strap of her top and lifting. It snap in two just from that slight pressure, exposing her left breast. "…in front of other male Supes, without my presence or supervision, is an insult to me. You are saying that you do not value our connection and that makes me look weak. If I am to protect you, you must follow certain rules." He took advantage of her exposed flesh by taking her nipple between his finger and thumb, pinching and twisting just a little. That shot an electric current right to her core and fired her up.

But the '_mine_' thing also fired her up, in a different way. "Eric, you know I don't know the first thing about supernatural rules. If you don't want me wearing something, then don't leave it for me to wear. I was given no choice in the matter. No one explained any rules to me. And I don't appreciate you claiming the '_mine_' thing all the time. I am _my _own person, _you_ do not own me, Buddy," Sookie said defiantly, lifting her chin a little and trying to straighten up, despite the giant presence of a Viking looming over her.

Instead of getting angry, he leaned in very close to her face, noses almost touching. "On the contrary Dear One," Eric said, enveloping her breast in his giant white hand and squeezing gently, "…we are blood bound, this in and of itself makes you _mine_. You even declared so the other night, at the Queen's palace. Do you need me to remind you?" he asked gruffly, grinding his now very obvious erection into her stomach.

_Well, shit_, she thought, _he has me there_. But, in her defense, she really didn't know what she was declaring. "You can't hold me to something I said in the throes of passion! It's just not fair!" she whined.

"All is fair, Lover," he replied, brushing his lips across hers before ghosting them along her jaw line. "So, tell me again…Why did you want to give me a gift?" he whispered in her ear. His left hand was still pressed against the wall, while his right moved to remove her sarong and barely-there bikini bottoms. Her top was hanging literally by the thread of her right strap.

"I…I…I honestly don't know. Especially after the way you have just treated me…scaring me half to death. I will not be control by fear, Eric," she tried to sound mad, but her voice wavered when he stuck his tongue in her ear. That drove her crazy and apparently he knew it. "I…I won't be controlled…oh god…by anyone," she stammered out as he grazed his fangs along her shoulder. For some reason, that really flipped her bic.

"Tell me," he commanded, lifting her left leg up and hitching it up around his hip. It allowed him to move even closer to her, giving him further access to her warm body. He ground into her, allowing her to feel how much he desired her. He experimented with the bond, thinking of only desire and lust.

"I know what you are doing. You aren't fooling me with your emotions," she said, trying to resist his advances. He trailed soft, cool kisses up and down her neck and across her jaw.

"Tell me," he whispered again. He slid his hand around her buttocks and slipped two fingers between her folds. She was so wet from his teasing.

"Oh god. This is so unfair!" she cried out. He could feel some unfamiliar emotion coming from her. It made his chest tight, as if his undead heart was clenching. He paused his ministrations for just a second, so he could look into her eyes. She immediately closed them, still running from him, even though she had nowhere to go.

He pinched her nub between his fingers and she let out a low moan, "Eric," she hissed between clenched teeth.

"I'm a _very_ patient man. We can do this all night, Lover," he teased her. "Tell me."

"I…I…I don't know. I just wanted to do something nice for you. You have been so sweet to me…well the majority of the time, other than kidnapping me initially and then trying to rip my throat out and then tearing the door down, just now. I wanted to show you how much I appreciate your efforts…how much I…" she closed her eyes, reveling in the sensations she was feeling throughout her body. "…ahhh. I can't think. I need you. I want you. Please, Eric," she sighed, begging for him to take her. She was weak, she knew that, but she couldn't help it. Their mutual feelings bouncing back and forth, the way he knew her body, it was just too much.

"How much you what, Lover?" Eric whispered in her ear then taking her lobe between his teeth, barely missing sinking his fang into it.

"Gah. Please!" she cried out, grinding her hips into him, trying to create more friction.

He stilled his fingers, bringing them up to his mouth. Seeing him do that, nearly undid her. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing his pleasure flow through her. Then he picked up her other leg and slid himself into her, right to the hilt, in one fluid motion. He pushed them up against the wall, as she cried out his name.

"Eric! God!" she exclaimed as he claimed her mouth, their tongues battling for dominance.

"Why do we always wind up against a wall, Lover," Eric asked, eyes dancing. He thrust into her again and again. She threw her head back, pushing her chest out, taunting him with her glorious breasts.

"I don't care where we are. Just don't stop!" she demanded.

"Your wish, my command," he replied, working her into a frenzied state. She was writhing and moaning, like she was possessed by the devil himself. Grabbing the back of his head, she brought him to her breast, needing to feel him everywhere. She wanted to be claimed, whether she could voice it or not.

As soon as his fangs grazed her nipple, she was gone… straight to the moon, passing the heavens, floating into space, lights flitting behind her eyelids in bright reds and gold. She cried out so loud, Eric was sure she was heard all the way down to the main floor of the building. He smirked, swelling his already inflated ego.

He moved them to the counter space, by the sink, setting her bottom just at the edge and throwing her legs over his shoulders. He was as deep as he could get without an operation. "Omigod! Yes!" she cried as he thumbed her nub while circling his hips, trying to hit her sweet. She had her second and third release in quick succession and her legs were like jello.

"You are _mine_ Sookie Stackhouse. Don't _you_ forget it. Say it. Tell me you are _mine_," he demanded, giving her the pounding of her life.

She brushed her hair back off her shoulder and away from her neck, tilting her head off to the side, offering herself to him. "Bite me Eric. Do it, now!" she replied.

He noticed she didn't exactly say the words, but submitting like that was just as good in his book and he didn't need to be asked twice. He licked her rapidly pulsing vein with his cool tongue before slowly sinking his fangs into her thin skin. Immediately her sweet blood filled his mouth and she cried out, "God, I love you, Eric!"

He couldn't believe what she just said. He was lost – drowning in her sweet fairy laced blood, undone by her clenching core, consumed by her words and the emotions that followed in the bond. He drank her in, filling himself with her essence. Then the guilt hit him. He was reminded of the human he nearly drained and it brought him back to reality. Sookie went limp in his arms, barely breathing, eyes closed.

"Yea, Gods! What have I done?!" Eric called out. He carefully healed her puncture wounds and cleaned her up. Then he laid her down in her bed and rushed to call Dr. Ludwig, the local Supe doctor.

Sookie came to, about an hour later, dazed and confused about what had happened. She also had a wicked headache. Eric was stretched out beside her, propped up on an elbow, wearing just a pair of jeans and his hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was holding a glass filled with a reddish orange liquid and a pink straw. "Drink," was all he said, holding the straw to her cracked lips. She felt completely dehydrated and weak. It was akin to the time she had the flu when she was 16 and her grandmother came around every few hours to check her temperature and force broth down her throat.

"What is it?" she asked hoarsely. She felt that twinge of guilt again, like she felt last evening. "Why do I keep feeling remorse from you? What have you done?" she demanded.

Sheepishly, Eric looked out across the room. Then turning his gaze back to her, he replied, "Please, just drink some of this first and then I'll explain."

She complied and nearly spit out the awful tasting stuff as soon as it hit her tongue. "Don't you do it! Just swallow it like a good girl. It will make you feel better," he ordered, holding the glass firmly in place.

She did want to feel better and the look he gave her, suggested she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She downed the nasty liquid as quickly as she could, feeling a warm burning feeling spread across her cheeks, like a sugar rush. "What was that stuff," she gagged.

"Orange Juice and synthetic blood," Eric replied coolly.

"What?!" she shrieked. "Why would you give me that?" she said turning to face him.

He focused on something across the room, so that he wouldn't have to look in her eyes while telling her the truth. His jaw clenched and she felt his agitation through their bond. "I inadvertently took too much of your blood, in the heat of the moment." Eric could feel her anger and panic building and sure enough, just as he thought she might, she shoved at him to get off the bed.

"You nearly drained me? Am I going to become a vampire now? Because of the bond?"

_Yup, definitely panicking_, he thought. "No Lover, I didn't nearly drain you. Just too much at once. It made you become light headed and because you were…ummm…in the midst of, well, you know… you simply lost consciousness. The doctor recommended I give you this concoction to help bring your blood sugar levels back up and help with the replenishment of fluids. You will be perfectly fine. No fangs in your immediate future," he added with a roll of his eyes.

"You called the doctor? What kind of doctor can you call when you're a vampire? Was it a vampire doctor? How can you be sure they are correct in their assumptions?"

_Yup, still panicking_. "Sookie, calm down. Really, it's OK. Haven't you ever given blood? Some people get woozy afterwards and even pass out. That's all that happened, honestly, you'll be right as rain by the morning, I promise," Eric tried to soothe her.

"No, I've never given blood…except to you. So, I'm a little freaked out OK?"

He rolled his eyes again, "Ya think? You have quite the flare for dramatics. You and Pam should get on well. Maybe I should have her come sit with you for a while, hmmm," he said, pulling her into his lap and setting the empty glass on the floor.

"No. No. I trust you…I think. Which reminds me, you were feeling pretty remorseful last night too. Since that wasn't about you nearly draining me, is there something else you'd like to confess before we move on for the night?" Sookie asked.

This was the part Eric was dreading. In fact, he was hoping he wouldn't have to tell her at all. "We can discuss that later. I want to know if you remember what you said before you passed out…" he trailed off, trying in vain to change the subject.

Sookie blushed a bit, because she was hoping she hadn't said the big L word out loud, like she had been chanting in her head for about twenty minutes prior to their finale. "Don't change the subject. You told me once, you would never lie to me. Well, my trust is earned Buster, so you better fess up to whatever it is you did. And if you won't tell me, I'm sure one of the others will. Or maybe I could read one of the non-vampire's minds and find out myself. Which would you prefer," she threatened, while poking him in the chest with each sentence.

He grabbed her wrist, to stop the poking and brought her hand to his lips. He was actually nervous about her reaction and he didn't understand why. It was if someone had hijacked his emotions. Maybe she was nervous of what he was going to tell her? He sighed, unnecessarily, feeling foolish that he was being put on the spot by a tiny human. He was a freaking _Viking_ for godssake. "OK. First, stop with the name calling. I am NOT your _Buddy _or a _Buster_, understood?" he paused to look down at her, curled up on his broad chest. She just shrugged and cracked a smile.

"Tick-tock. I am not as patient as you, Eric. Stop trying to avoid the issue and just tell me already!"

Rubbing his thumb across her palm, in an attempt to soothe her, he began. "Well, after Claudine left, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to contain my desire to drain something, so I flew, literally, flew downstairs to meet with Pam and the others." He looked down at her again. Sookie had closed her eyes, as if bracing for impact and her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She was sure he had probably fucked some gorgeous woman or maybe even ten, in a crazy attempt to rid himself of his lust. Maybe he even had fucked Pam. She couldn't stand it if that's what happened. She felt her heart shattering already into a million pieces, but she was determined to hear it from his lips. She just needed for it to be said, so she could move on. She actually started to pull away from him, but he kept her firmly in place.

"Lover, stop squirming. I left so I wouldn't hurt _you_. Doesn't that mean anything?"

So it was true then? He had screwed someone else and then had the nerve to get all possessive on her earlier. _That was bullshit_! "Well, I hope she was worth it, Eric. I mean how could you?" she started to cry.

His brow furrowed. He didn't understand what just happened. "Wait, why are you crying? I didn't even tell you what happened yet."

"Oh, you don't need to. I'm sure I can fill in the blanks. Was it Pam or some other whore you keep around for times like that?" Sookie sobbed. Why is it that he had the power to lift her up so high but also bring her so low. Is this what love really was all about? Having power over another so fully? If so, she wasn't so sure she wanted to ever be in love.

"Lover, what are you talking about? I simply took another's blood. I needed something to stop the bloodlust. And before tonight, we did not have any synthetic blood on hand. It's not widely available for distribution yet. So, I had to go for the real deal. But I didn't have sex with her. I simply attacked her and nearly drained her dry." There he said it.

"And for some unknown reason, I felt guilty about it afterwards, when I saw you. I felt like I had dishonored you somehow, even though I'm a _vampire_ and that's what we _do_. I felt guilty, OK? That's it, nothing more. You can continue to trust me, right?" He held her tight to him so that she couldn't run. He felt her emotions and she was stiff, like she wanted to bolt. But she wasn't strong enough yet.

"And so you nearly drained me tonight too? For what? So I couldn't run when you confessed your ugly sin? That's pretty devious, Eric."

"Woman! Where are you getting this stuff from?! I did not _intentionally_ try and drain you, for the last time. I simply TOOK-TOO-MUCH at once. Get that through _your _head! If you must know, it was in response to YOUR words. You told me you _LOVED_ me and I lost my head. There! Satisfied?!" he growled, jumping off the bed and walking towards the windows, clenching and unclenching his fists. _Gods! She was infuriating_!

Now Sookie was beet red, surely from head to toe, with embarrassment. She _had_ said that out loud and now he had one more thing to hold over her. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed some more. Was this torture ever going to end? From the minute she got into that limo with him, she has been on a giant, non-stop roller coaster ride and she wanted off. Why had her great-grandfather wanted _Eric_ of all people to protect her? Did he know they were going to be like this? They were like positively and negatively charged particles, wanting to collide and fight for dominance over each other, until they become one.

That thought stopped her short. "Hey Eric? Did Niall ever tell you why _you_ should be the one to protect me? I mean, didn't he actually say something to you about being the only one who could do it? Do you think it was coincidence that you happened to be here…Sheriff of my area… and that I needed your protection? Because I certainly don't believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason…"

He was so angry at her, at this whole situation that he didn't really hear her at first. But then her tiny little voice sunk in and he realized she was obviously trying to reason something out. He turned to face her and was pained to see her face all red and puffy from her crying jag. He had made her cry once again.

He walked back over to the edge of the bed, looking down at her. "What are you getting at? Are you looking to blame Niall for all your misfortunate lately? Well, join the club darlin' because I am already there."

"You're that sick of me, huh? I don't fault you for that. It seems as though trouble has followed me wherever I've gone lately," she hiccupped. "But, I was just thinking that we are such total opposites in many ways, yet something about you just pulls me in. From the moment I saw you in the bar. It was like you were holding a Sookie-sized magnet and I was a big ol' piece of metal. So I was wondering if maybe Niall knew that something like that would happen between us and that's why you were chosen to protect me. Of course I'm assuming a lot here, by thinking you may feel some sort of the same thing with me…but you know what they say about assumptions…" Sookie rambled.

Eric chuckled at her last statement, but her line of thinking gave him pause. He had been the Sheriff here, in area five, for the last sixty years. "Didn't Niall tell you he had known about your family for the last sixty years?" he blurted out.

"Umm. Yeah, that sounds about right, why?"

"Because that is exactly how long I've been in Louisiana. Sophie-Anne tracked me down in Minnesota, where I had been living with Pam. It sounded like a good opportunity and it gave Pam the chance to venture out on her own. Do you think that's coincidental?" he asked, arching his eyebrow. It really was more of a statement. He sat down with much flourish, making Sookie bounce a little on the bed.

Sookie laughed. "You mean, you were a Minnesota Viking?"

"Very funny, Lover."

"Aside from the joking, do you think we are somehow being manipulated by Niall?" Sookie asked. "I'd hate to think that everything I feel for you is manufactured, but at the same time I don't want to be tricked into anything either, you know?" Again, her question was more of a statement as well.

"I am not one to be easily manipulated," _or so I thought_, Eric silently added. _But I have been a means to an end for Niall before, so I very well could be again_, he reasoned.

"We need to find out more. It does seem equally coincidental that his company is behind the synthetic blood creation. And there was obviously some great talk amongst the elder vampires, to get them to form a league and uniformly decide that coming out was the right idea. Because honestly, many of us do not agree with this path. Do you think you could arrange some quality alone time with your cousin Claudine soon? Perhaps she can inadvertently shed some light on the subject. You get my meaning, Lover?"

"I whole-heartedly agree. It's worth a shot. Except that I don't have any way of calling her, Eric, being that I don't have a phone or her number," Sookie chided him.

"Have no fear, I come prepared!" Eric laughed, whipping out his cell phone from his jeans pocket. His fingers blurred across the number pad briefly and then he handed it to Sookie. "Photographic memory," he said, tapping his temple. "No need for address books. It's a safety thing."

"Right," Sookie said, shaking her head from side to side.

"Hi Claudine? This is Sookie – Sookie Stackhouse, your cousin? Right, well I was wonderin' if you had some time in the next day or two to come break me out of my house arrest over at Vamp Central. I could really use a girls day out, you know what I mean?" Sookie was putting forth her best southern charm. "Tomorrow? Oh! Great! That would be wonderful. Can you 'pop' by here, say around noon and maybe bring a car? I don't have any way to get around, really," she shot Eric a frown. He just smirked in return. "OK. See you then!"

"Right, well that was easy enough. Now let's make a plan," she said, holding out her empty hand to him, while holding his cell phone in the other. He gave it to her and she tugged on it, pulling him down for a kiss.

"My feelings may or may not be manufactured. And as disturbing as that all is, Eric, you are still all I have right now and I sure do appreciate it," Sookie said, placing her hand on his cheek. It was a real tender gesture and Eric closed his eyes briefly to take it all in. He had a sinking feeling he was about to lose _everything_. Or maybe that was her feeling?

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**A/N:** Another cliffie, Tek? Really? What are you doing to us? Well, press the little green and give me a piece of your mind. Maybe I'll use it next chap! Oh and IKEAGODDESS suggested a battle cry in there for when he broke down the door. He didn't actually cry out...but I thought the imagery of him standing there bare-assed might make you all cry out! :) *VikingBattleCries 4 All* 


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** My sincere thanks to all who have jumped aboard my _Crazy Train_ *cue crazy Randy Rhodes guitar riff & Ozzy's cackle*. Bare-assed Viking hugs to you all! Oh! And special thanks to _**VampLover1**_and _**goldicecubes **_for listening to my crazy ideas about who has Jason. It is partially answered in this chapter-- but as usual, there is _way_ more to that story. Wa! Ha! Ha! **PS: **Disclaimer remains as before. Recognizable stuff is **from CH**, the rest, including mistakes, are mine.

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"So does this new theory of yours mean you take back what you said earlier?" Eric asked, curling a lock of Sookie's long blonde hair around his thick finger. They were in identical poses, lying on their sides, arms supporting their heads, facing each other on Sookie's bed. She was not yet dressed, but wrapped in the soft, pale pink sheet set and feather filled duvet Pam picked out, plotting ways to make Claudine talk, without making her suspicious. Eric had a hunch that the fairy had no idea what Niall was up to, but maybe she knew some things they could put together with what they already knew.

Sookie blushed, unsure of her feelings and of how she should answer. She was so inexperienced when it came to affairs of the heart and with men in general. Her mouth went dry and butterflies awoke in her belly. "When I think about it, my heart says yes, I do love you," she smiled shyly, tracing the ridges of muscle along his abdomen. "But my brain says that I've only known you for a few days and therefore it's not possible to feel that way without there being another reason for it, whether it is because of our blood bond or because of something Niall has done." She felt a jolt of anger course through her and it wasn't her own.

"Brains are over-rated. I say listen to your heart, Lover," he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Sookie realized she must have hurt his feelings with her theory.

"Tell me Sookie, you say you were attracted to me the night we first met. How do you think Niall could have influenced that, if you had no idea of him before that point?" Eric asked.

"Well, he had already met with _you_. So maybe it was _you_ carrying some spell with you. I don't know. It sounds pathetic, doesn't it?" She rolled away from him, stretching out on her back, so she could focus on anything but his eyes. Oh how she didn't want to hurt him. But she wasn't ready to go all in on these sudden feelings either.

"You're running from me again, Lover," Eric said. "Why can't you just say what is on your mind? What do you have to lose?"

She inhaled sharply and felt a sob building, tightening her chest, "Everything," she whispered, "…everything." Tears began to leak out of the corners of her eyes. She just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. She couldn't possibly fall in love with a vampire. So many things made it complicated. He was dangerous, unpredictable and immortal -- not to mention sex on a stick. How would she be able to keep his attention for long? She was just an inexperienced barmaid from Bon Temps and once the Revelation occurred, he would be bombarded with women wanting him, throwing themselves at him, begging to be bitten by him, she could almost see it.

"Sookie, don't cry. I do not know what to do when you cry. It makes me nervous. Tell me what you need and I'll make it happen," Eric nearly begged. He pulled her into him, spooning her, pressing his coolness against her warm soft body. He tried to think and feel only calming thoughts, so that she may feel some of that too and be able to settle herself down. "I don't understand what you think you may lose by sharing your thoughts. Tell me," Eric spoke softly into her hair.

"I…," she hiccuped. She wanted to tell him she was scared to love him, how she wanted to just yield to him completely and how much that terrified her-- made her feel more twisted inside. "I think I need to be alone right now, Eric. I need to sort some stuff out without you trying to control my feelings. I can feel it when you send calm or strength through the bond and it irritates me. They are not my feelings. How am I supposed to do or say anything, when I just don't know what is real and what is fabricated."

Eric stiffened. He was angry and he felt manipulated. One minute she was confessing her love for him and the next, she was sending him away. It had been a long time that he felt genuine love from another being and hearing her say that earlier had given him something he had long ago abandoned the thought of…hope. He was hopeful that maybe she was the one – the one who could change him, help tame the animal he had become. She was making him feel, making him weak. Perhaps he needed to be away from her as well.

He quickly released her from his grip and left to get ready for his nightly sheriff duties. He had already wasted several hours with her and would have plenty of things to catch up on while keeping his mind occupied from thoughts of this she-devil. Maybe he could defang someone tonight or even torture someone for information. That always helped relieve some pent-up aggression.

Eric would not return to her that night, opting instead to go right to his daytime chamber. His final thoughts, before the rise of the sun sent him to his death for the day, was of the annoying blonde, several floors above him and not by his side; and her great-grandfather who seems to have more influence over his life than he realized -- including Eric's happiness in the palm of his hands.

Sookie woke about an hour before sunrise and sat up toying with the edge of the comforter, willing him to come back to her. She felt awful for sending him away, even if everything she said was really how she saw things. She told him the truth, just not the whole truth. He asked for it, but obviously he didn't like what he heard and it made him angry. She definitely felt his anger – for hours after he left.

She tossed and turned all morning until finally around half-past ten, she got up and performed her morning rituals, having coffee, eating breakfast and catching up on the local news. She stood in front of the dresser drawers for several minutes, trying to decide what to wear. None of the items in there were her style necessarily and the thought of not wearing the proper thing out in public, grated on her nerves. She certainly didn't want a repeat of yesterday…unless it involved a naked Viking pillaging her.

"Argghh!!" she cried out, slamming the drawers shut. He was so infuriating. Why should she even care about his stupid rules? He wasn't the boss of her! She felt so out of control of her own life. No one had asked her about any of this. Why didn't Niall just contact her directly about her safety? What was so big and bad out there, that was worse than what she had already experienced under guard?

In the middle of her temper-tantrum, she started getting goose bumps on her arms and she could feel this strange energy building up around her, until suddenly, Claudine was standing there before her.

"Hiya Sookie! Hey, am I early? You aren't even dressed yet!" Claudine commented. She was so darn peppy.

"Yeah, I'm having a bit of a dilemma on that one," Sookie sighed.

"Well, consider me your fashion fairy godmother!" Claudine laughed as she sashayed over to the dresser and began throwing clothes out left and right. "Someone has a penchant for twinsets and pastels I see! Somehow, I don't think that's really you though, huh?" she giggled.

"Yeah, I think Pam did my shopping for me. They had no idea when I first got here, how long I'd be, so I think she probably just brought over some things for her favorite stores. I'm more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, you know?" Sookie explained.

"Well, here," Claudine said, shoving a pile of clothes in her hand. "Throw these on and let's go get some shopping done. I work at the Dillard's in Monroe, so I get a killer discount. We'll get you some proper things to call your own!"

"That would be great!" Sookie actually looked forward to that. "Except, I don't have any money with me. All my cash and credit cards are at my house in Bon Temps. In fact, my entire life is in Bon Temps. I didn't exactly know I wasn't coming back for a while when Mr. Northman picked me up for our 'date'," she complained.

"Oh! Well, let's stop by your house then and you can grab whatever you want to bring back with you. And no worries about money! The Prince will cover everything for us," Claudine sing-songed.

"Oh, no. I don't want to take advantage of Niall that way," Sookie protested.

"Are you kidding? He would be outraged to find out you paid for anything. You are in this position because he put you there. Surely, he wants to be certain you are well cared for and provided for. I'm surprised the Viking hasn't taken you out before now," Claudine said.

"Well, obviously all of this was for me," Sookie waved her hand around the suite, "and you know, we really haven't had a lot of time to stroll the malls in the evenings, with his being a vampire sheriff and visiting the Queen of Louisiana."

"Right. I guess it has been a few interesting days for you and your protection is first priority, so it all makes sense. But, have no fear! You will be perfectly safe with me," Claudine nodded confidently. "Now, hurry up and get dressed so we can go! I'm starving for lunch. Is there anywhere in Bon Temps that has a good burger? I'm in the mood for some grease!"

Dressed in a pair of designer jeans that seemed to fit like a glove and a velour hoodie (which Sookie didn't remember seeing in the dresser before), they were on their way to Bon Temps in Claudine's sporty Volkswagen convertible. Alcide and Cal followed a safe distance behind, notifying the girls that they were to guard Sookie during the day regardless of whom was with her. Claudine didn't seem to mind, in fact she seemed rather pleased when she got a full look at Alcide. "He is very handsome for a _Were_," she had said.

They made it to Bon Temps in a little under an hour with Claudine's turbo-charged car. She drove a little faster than Sookie would, but it was tolerable. Sookie was just happy to be out of bat cave for a while and around normal, although not altogether human, company.

The first stop was to her family's old farmhouse. Everything appeared to be in order. Sam had left a note in her mailbox informing her that he was collecting her mail and actually took in her cat, Tina, for her while she was away. "That Sam, he is so sweet," Sookie said to no one in particular, while she was reading his note.

"Who's Sam?" Claudine asked.

"He's my boss and one of my best-friends. He owns Merlotte's, which is where we should go for lunch. They have the best burgers. He also has my mail and he's been takin' care of Tina, my cat, according to the letter here," Sookie emphasized by waving the crisp piece of paper.

"Let me just run inside and throw a bag together of some of my favorite things and we can head on over there."

"Wait. You should allow me to go inside first – in case there are any booby-traps or unwanted visitors waiting for you. You can never be too careful," Claudine warned.

Alcide and Cal also got out of their car, as the girls approached the porch. "We'll do a perimeter check first, before you unlock the door, Ms. Crane," Alcide said. With inhuman speed and grace, they took off running around the place. Within a few moments, they were back at the front of the house, not even out of breath.

"Everything appears to be fine, but why don't you let us go in first. It's what we get paid to do. No offense, Ms. Crane," Alcide said again, speaking to Claudine directly. Sookie was thinking that maybe the attraction was a bit mutual between them. Or maybe Weres like the smell of fairy too.

Alcide and Cal made their way inside, after Sookie handed over her keys. Claudine stayed on the porch with Sookie while they waited to get the all clear from the guys.

"How long have you lived in Monroe, Claudine?" Sookie asked, trying to get to know a little more about her cousin.

"Oh, I don't know. A few years I guess," Claudine evaded.

"How long have you known about me?" Sookie asked, cutting to the chase.

"Oh, only since Jason's disappearance and Claudette's death. Claude and I started doing some research about the Stackhouse's after all that and we connected you to Jason and your grandmother. Finally, the Prince confessed your relation to us and explained how you were very special. When we found out that you not only had the spark, but also a telepath, I knew you could help us solve Claudette's murder," Claudine explained. "I cannot believe that you have been staying with the legendary Viking and now you are bonded to him. You are one lucky cookie!" Claudine smiled. "Oh, look. Alcide's waving us in. Come on!" She grabbed Sookie's hand and they went inside.

Everything looked as she had left it, but for some reason, it didn't feel right inside. Almost like it wasn't her home anymore.

She walked into the kitchen to get a drink, her throat suddenly dry from Claudine's comment about Eric. What was so freakin' fabulous about Eric Northman that everyone seemed to fawn over? As she was setting her glass down on the counter, she noticed the message light flashing on the answering machine. She must have a million messages.

She hit play, figuring she would just breeze through them. The first three were from Sam, wondering where she was, the morning after her date with Eric. Then there were some hang-ups, a couple of solicitors and the last was an eerie message from Jason.

"Hey Sis, it's Jas. I stopped by but you weren't home and you weren't at Merlotte's either. So I'm leaving you this message, to tell ya that I met the 'one'. She is really beautiful and smart too! I just know you'd like her. Well, anyway, the thing is, she is in town for only another night and then she's leaving for this special conference with her church, _The Society of God's Light_, or somethin' like that. And she's asked me to come with her! Now I know I'm not one for church goin', but I feel like this is fate, Sis... like maybe I've found my callin', ya know? So, if you don't see me around for a few days, you know I've decided to go with her. Would you do me a favor and call Catfish for me? Thanks! I owe ya!"

"What an ass!" Sookie said. "Why he couldn't let anyone else know that he'd run off with some girl is beyond me. Here we are worried that he's been kidnapped and he's off chasin' skirts, like everyone else thought." she exhaled and stomped off to her room to retrieve her overnight bag and some clothes.

While she was gathering up her toiletries, she realized that almost everything she had here, was what she had at Eric's. She hadn't noticed that before. How would he know her favorite shampoo was the one thing she splurged on at Walmart? And, that she only liked body wash that had Shea Butter in it? That her loofah was purple and her toothpaste was Aqua Fresh? She didn't know whether to be creeped out or touched by his attention to detail.

She made her way back to the family room, where everyone had gathered to wait for her. She spotted the quilt, folded on the back of the couch. "Oh, I really need to bring this. It was my Gran's," she said, looking down at it sadly. This house had so many memories, but the recent ones left nothing but sadness in her heart. "I think I've got everything for now. Let's go." She grabbed up the quilt and held it to her nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled of a mixture of vanilla, lavender and comfort, just like her Gran.

Everyone filed out of the house, Alcide took care to lock up behind them as they all went to their prospective cars, headed towards Merlotte's.

Sam was ecstatic to see Sookie, even if she had somewhat of an entourage with her. Lafayette came from the kitchen and greeted Sookie warmly, while making eyes at Alcide and Cal. "Damn Girl, you gots to share your secret with me!" he said, fluttering his eyelashes at them, before swaying his way back to the kitchen.

"I love his sense of style!" Claudine raved.

"You should try his special burger Lafayette. He uses some special sauce that will knock your socks off!" Sookie bragged.

"Hey cher, do you think I could talk to you for a few minutes, alone?" Sam asked.

Sookie looked around at her contingent of bodyguards. Sam noticed her apprehension. "We'll just be back in my office. Feel free to go check it out first if you'd like. You can even stand by the back door to make sure no one gets back there," he said to Cal, sounding accommodating, but Sookie could tell by his face that he was a little annoyed at their presence.

Sam, Cal and Sookie made their way back to his office and after Cal made a quick round through the bathrooms, storage closet and Sam's office, he perched just outside the doorway leading back to the main dining room. That way he could see who was coming and going from all entrances leading to Sam's office without being able to eavesdrop.

"What is going on cher? I mean, what is _really_ going on?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure how much I can tell you Sam. I can tell you that suddenly, my life seems to be in constant danger and I've been through some pretty scary things the past few days. My mind has definitely been opened to all sorts of things I thought were only in fairytales. Which reminds me…I'm kind of mad at you! Here you know about my…you know…quirk, yet you never told me about your, ah, gift?" Sookie glared at Sam.

"Now Sookie, I couldn't just come out and tell you something like that. It's not just my secret to keep, you know? Like Alcide and Cal out there…they sure don't want everyone to know their different. But now that you know, does that really change anything between us?" Sam asked.

Sookie shrugged her shoulders, "I guess not. I think it would have just made me feel a little more normal, if I knew that there were others around me that were different too."

"So how is it that you are staying with the Sheriff? If you didn't know about me, you most certainly didn't know about them bloodsuckers, did ya?" Sam asked.

His use of that derogatory term to refer to Eric pissed Sookie off. "Now Sam, I don't go callin' you names. Don't be calling them names either. Eric has been the only person I've been able to trust these last few days and he's gone out of his way to be real kind and accepting of me, just the way I am. Not to mention risking his life for me on several occasions," she explained. It made her pause when she put it like that to someone. It was all true, Eric had been kind and accepting of her. He had gone way out of his way to accommodate her needs, even at some discomfort to himself. He had given her his blood and even bonded with her, just to keep her safe. Eric may be doing this for Niall, but she was sure that Niall didn't ask him to do any of that. He did it because he wanted to do it. Her heart melted a little and she decided that maybe she had been just a little too rough on him the night before and had unfairly blamed her feelings on Niall's doing. She just needed to find out more about her family and the blood bond.

"Say, Sam? Do you know anything about blood bonds?" Sookie asked.

"Sookie Stackhouse! Please tell me you haven't bonded to him already?" Sam answered, shaking his head.

"Well, I didn't have much of a choice! Now what is it? Is it something bad?" she asked.

"What do you mean? Did that bastard force that on you? I'll stake him myself," Sam said, jumping up from his chair, running his hands through his already tousled hair.

"Calm down Sam. It wasn't like that. Listen, I can't go into too many details, but it was either him or someone much, much worse. Eric did it to save me from assured servitude and probable life as a vampire myself. It was just awful, Sam. But, since it has happened, I haven't had much time to find out what it all means. Everyone around me seems to think it's a big deal. Especially with him. What do you know about Eric?"

"Jesus, Sookie. It sure sounds like you have had some adventures these last few days. I'm sorry if I upset you. I'm just worried about you, cher. I don't know what you've gotten yourself into with all these Supes around you, but Eric Northman is a powerful, dangerous and sly vampire. He's quite old and therefore respected by other vampires. But that also means he's not very well liked among the other Supe groups. I'm surprised that someone like Alcide would even work for him, but to each his own.

"As far as the blood bond, I know that it is a powerful, magical connection between the vampire and his human. Legend has it that vamps used to create them in order to create slaves. The humans were indentured to them permanently or until their death, serving as daytime protection, guaranteed meals and moneymakers. I'm sure some of that has changed over the years, but the important part is that they have almost complete control over the human."

Sookie swallowed audibly. It didn't seem like Eric was controlling her at all. If he could than why would he have broken down the door yesterday, to get to her in the bathroom? Why wouldn't he just command her to let him in, to do whatever he wanted her to do? That didn't seem to add up.

Just then a knock came to the door. "Ms. Stackhouse, your food is ready at your table," Cal called.

Sookie stood up and gave Sam a hug and walked towards the door. She turned and noticed Sam's face contorted in pain and flushed red either from anger or embarrassment. "What is it Sam?" she asked.

"I can smell him all over you," he grunted and then marched in front of her, whipping open the door and stomping back towards the bar.

Sookie snuck a quick whiff of her clothes and she smelled fine to her. _Must be some Supe thing_, she thought and walked back to rejoin Claudine at their table. Alcide stood up and moved towards the door. "Cal is going to keep a watch on the back and I'll be just outside here if you gals need something," he nodded to both and strolled out the front door.

"So…is he as interesting as he looks?" Sookie teased Claudine.

"He's pretty great for a _Were_," Claudine replied dreamily.

"Why is it that none of the Supe groups seem to like each other? I mean, Eric seems to think Shifters and Weres are kind of scum, even though he uses them for things, like guarding me. And Sam," Sookie paused, nodding her head in the direction of the bar, "thinks Eric is dangerous and I shouldn't be 'hanging' around him. And now you just said _Were_, like it was a bad thing. Explain please," she said, taking a huge bite of her burger Lafayette.

Claudine took a sip of her Diet Coke then began. "I forget this is all new to you. I don't understand why Uncle Fintan wanted to keep you all away from us. You especially, would have benefitted more, knowing about us at least.

"Anyway, there is sort of a pecking order among the Supes. Fairies and vampires used to tussle about who was superior. Vampires think they are because they are immortal, but fairies think they are because they can live so long, have their own realm that they can retreat to, if need be _and_ they are all quite magical while remaining very hard to kill.

"Shifters would probably come next, since they can shift into pretty much anything they want at will, then Weres and finally weres.

"Werewolves are higher up in the chain because they can shift at will into a werewolf. Regular weres or even bitten weres can only shift on a full moon and are restricted to whatever animal it is they can shift to, like panthers for example or foxes, being the most common around here." Claudine said, stuffing a bunch of fries into her mouth.

"So you knew my grandfather Fintan and that he prevented you all from contacting us?" Sookie asked, noticing her comment earlier. She thought it was a perfect segue into her questioning about Niall and fairies.

"Oh, I knew him. However, I did not know anything about you all, as I told you before, until recently. The Prince told me and Claude why none of us had any idea about you," Claudine answered.

"Is it common for fairies to have human offspring and then hide them from their families?" Sookie asked.

"No. It's not common at all," Claudine said, shaking her head and taking a large bite of pickle that made a loud 'crunch' as she bit. "It is unusual to find a human who can carry a supernatural being, such as a fairy, without some type of Supe blood in them, themselves. For example, you would probably be able to have a fairy child, if you were to mate with a full or even half-blood fairy, because of your own heritage.

"As far as why he kept it a secret, your guess is as good as mine, but all fairies are pretty secretive by nature. I have known some fairies who are unkind to half-breeds and some who don't even recognize them as anything other than human. It's a form of bigotry, just like here when it comes to race or religion."

Sookie took this all in while finishing her burger. "Well Niall wouldn't have passed judgment on Fintan for us, being that Fintan was a result of Niall and a human woman, right? So that wouldn't be a reason for keeping us secret." Sookie thought aloud. "It's interesting that you think my Gran might have been something other than human in order to have children with Fintan. She never seemed anything other than normal to me!" Sookie laughed a short laugh and shook her head. _If only Gran could be here now to answer some of those questions._

"It's possible your Gran had some fairy blood herself and that's what attracted Uncle Fintan to her. It's equally possible that she was something else entirely too," Claudine said, shrugging her shoulders. "My guess is that she was where you inherited your telepathy. She may have been psychic herself. Did you ever notice anything like that about her?" she asked.

Sookie shook her head, frustrated that her Gran left her with this mess and sad that she was not here to help her figure it all out. She was a wise woman. Sookie decided to change the subject. "So what is Niall really like, anyway? I mean I've only met him once. He seemed very sweet, but also powerful enough to get someone like Eric to agree to hideaway a human for safe keeping," she said, leaning into the table and whispering in a conspiratorial way.

"Yes, the Prince is very powerful and very magical. But he is very loyal to all his family members and that now includes you, little one," Claudine said, grabbing Sookie's hand and squeezing it and smiling a dazzling smile. "I know that he and the Viking have some sort of history together. Your bonded has quite a reputation of his own, for being very powerful but also quite fair. They are very much alike, I would guess. Aside from him being drop-dead gorgeous," she giggle-snorted. "Pun intended! Ha! Ha!" she giggled some more.

Sookie just gave her a look, letting her know she was not particularly amused. "Sorry, Sookie. Just fairy humor, I guess," Claudine said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a napkin. "I just want to say that you are very lucky indeed to have both the Prince and the Viking on your side. And we will all do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe," she plainly stated.

"That's what I don't get. What is so important about me and why am I so unsafe after all these years? What has changed and who is after me?" Sookie asked.

Claudine looked around, as if suddenly remembering that they were in a very public place. "This is really not the place to discuss such things. Just know that the Prince has some very powerful enemies and your existence has piqued the curiosity of some of those enemies. So it's best if you just keep a low profile for a while, until things settle down. Consider your welfare sort of like taking the diplomatic approach instead of going to all out war," she said cryptically.

"Does this have anything to do with the Great Revelation the vamps talk about? I know Niall's invested in the company who developed the synthetic blood. Are their some pissed off vamps after me or somethin'? Or is it the fairies that don't like half-breeds? I need to know what I'm facing here. I just can't be locked up in a tower until someone deems it's safe for me. I'll go crazy!" Sookie whined.

"Honestly Sookie, I don't know all the details myself. It does seem a bit _coincidental_ that everything started heating up about the same time as the medical breakthrough. I just can't be certain to tell you anything. So, if I were you and really wanted answers, I would start by looking into who is involved with the Revelation as well as the research that is going on at the medical company. Obviously, not all of it is public information, but I'm sure your Viking can help with convincing someone to talk. Now, if we are done here, we should head out for some shopping! Don't you think?" Claudine said, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Sure," Sookie said, sighing heavily at the disappointment of only adding more questions to her already long list. "I just need to run to the restroom real quick."

"OK. I'll settle the tab with Sam," Claudine said.

Sookie hopped up from the table and headed back by the bar, down the hallway, past Sam's office to the ladies' room. She didn't see Cal in the hallway, but didn't think much of it until she went to push open the door to the bathroom. She heard the tiniest sound behind her and figured it was Cal coming in from the employee entrance. She turned to tell him they were getting ready to head out, but never got that far. A large hand grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around. She was face to face with the ugliest man she'd ever seen and before she could register anything else, he cocked his hand back and punched her right in the face. He was thinking how much he was going to enjoy 'playing' with her, right before she lost consciousness.

When she woke up, she was duct-taped to a chair – her ankles to the legs of it, her wrists to the arms of it and a piece over her mouth. She quickly took in her surroundings. She appeared to be in an empty office building or more like a warehouse that had a couple of offices built out for management. A line of metal paned windows caked with dirt or soot of some kind, lined the exterior brick walls, with some of them busted out completely. Sunset didn't seem far off, because what little light that shone through, was waning. _Eric will be waking soon_, she thought, _and boy is he going to be pissed when he finds out I'm missing_. _At least I hope so._

She glanced around the room again to see if there was anything sharp that she could move towards to work the tape off, but all she could see in the dim light was a rusted metal desk, a matching filing cabinet that was missing most of its drawers, off to one corner and a coat rack tree in the other corner. The door to the office was mostly metal too, with the exception of a frosted over window set just above the door handle, or at least where the door handle used to be – now there was just a piece of steel welded over the hole. It appeared no one could see either in or out, giving the illusion of privacy. It had some lettering on it that could have been a person's name or title at some point, but because most of it was missing or worn off and backwards, she couldn't quite make any sense out of it.

She wondered where Claudine was and worried that something may have happened to her too. And where were her bodyguards, Alcide and Cal? _Did something happen to them as well?_ She couldn't understand how with three people guarding, someone still managed to get to her. Nor could she imagine who was holding her captive.

She strained to hear, both with her ears and her mind, to see if anyone was outside the room, while simultaneously trying to find a solution to her predicament. Task number one: get tape off of mouth, hands and feet.

She tried shuffling the chair towards the desk, but its legs scrapped against the concrete floor like fingernails against a chalkboard. She paused, heart beating out of her chest, wondering if someone was going to come barging into the room after that ruckus. Several seconds went by with her holding her breath, afraid to even make that much noise. When no one came, she tried again, this time by attempting to stand up. She bent over at an awkward angle and sort of hop-walked towards the desk. That didn't make as much noise and she made it there fairly quickly. She sat back down and took a minute to rest and catch her breath.

Next, she tried scraping the side of her mouth against the side of the desk, hoping that a piece of the tape would catch. After several attempts, a corner of it caught. Jerking her head up and away from the desk, she was able to peel it off. The sting of the tape pulling off some of the peach fuzz on her upper lip, made her squeal and brought tears to her eyes, but she stifled it quickly. Now she knew what it felt like to be waxed there and prayed that she would be one of the lucky ones who didn't have to go through that painful process every six weeks, later on in life.

With the tape gone from her mouth, she had to decide whether it was better to start screaming or to find some way to free the rest of her body first. If the wrong people heard her scream and came in after her, she would have no use of her limbs and therefore no way to defend herself. There was no way someone would stash a bound up woman in an old building and just leave her there to try to escape. No, she was positive there was someone or something around here just waiting for her to make a move.

So she stood in her half-sitting, half-squatting position, and hop-walked around the desk to see if there were any drawers and possibly anything in those drawers that would help cut through the tape. Luckily, the drawers had handles. She was able to get close and wiggle her fingers enough to get each one open, three on one side, two on the other and a top drawer probably for pens and notepads. Unfortunately, they were all empty.

Her hope was fading fast and so was her strength. The adrenaline that had fueled her just moments ago was now making her feel tired and shaky. Her mind started to wander. What if there were vampires out there, waiting for sunset before they charged in here to drain her? What if it was some unknown supernatural she hadn't met yet, bent on torturing and raping her? She hiccupped and a little vomit sprung up her throat. She swallowed it back down reluctantly and gathered some courage to move forward.

She eyed the filing cabinet off to her left, in the corner. A huge dent covered one side, like something large and heavy had been thrown into it and there was still a bottom drawer attached, but it jutted out at a funny angle, as if it would never be pushed back in to its proper place. Looking at it closely, she noticed two rods on either side, probably used for those hanging file folders most offices use for sorting paperwork. One side was sticking up oddly and it looked jagged. She hop-walked over as close as she could and leaned over, bracing her head against the wall so she could get her left hand as close to the sharp piece as possible. Sookie tried to slide it up under the tape, but only managed to cut the back of her hand and pretty deep by the amount of blood oozing out. After attempting several different angles, she got lucky again and a portion of the tape caught, ripping free her wrist and all the fine little hairs that surrounded it.

She never realized how much body hair she really had, up to this point. She half wondered if there was any kind of magic spell her great-grandfather or Claudine knew to make it all disappear, permanently. Shaking her head to re-focus her attention, she turned her body around and started working on her right hand. With one hand already free, the second hand was much faster to get loose and not quite as much hair was ripped off this time.

Now with both hands free, she worked on getting the metal piece out of the cabinet so she could free her legs. She could not quite manage pulling it out, so she lay down on her back with her legs bent in a sitting position, propped up in the air. She wiggled and jimmied until finally she was able to shred the tape enough that her hands could break the rest free. She glanced at the windows, it was definitely dark now, and there was hardly any light left to see what she was doing. Luckily, all the vampire blood she'd ingested lately gave her the ability to see more than she would have been able to normally. _One upside to be vampire-bound_, she thought.

Speaking of vampires, if she and Eric shared some mystery connection with their emotions, couldn't he feel her anxiety and fatigue? _Was there a distance limitation_, she wondered. _Couldn't they all track her by scent?_ They were like bloodhounds (har-har) with their acute sense of smell. _Where the hell were the troops_? Her anxiety swiftly turned to anger and she focused on getting her other leg free and hopefully getting the hell out of there.

She was able to stand up now and quickly shredded the last of the tape, but ripping her pants and gouging her leg, just above her anklebone, in the process. _Oww_, she thought, _now I have a bloody hand and a bloody leg_. If there were vampires out there, she was done for.

She tip-toed towards the door and leaned as close to the window as she could to try and see out it, but it was no use. The frosted glass made it impossible to see anything. Next, she laid down on her stomach and tried to look underneath the door. Her heart stopped instantly as she saw the rubber soles of someone's work boots and felt the tenor of a Were brain. She froze, wondering what to do next, until she looked up and recognized the coat rack tree from earlier. She jumped up as silently as she could and grabbed a hold of the heavy iron pole, holding it back behind her, like a baseball batter ready to knock in a home run.

The door slowly swung inwards, hiding her behind it. When the snarling red flash of thought hit her, she knew for sure it was just a Were and a sense of relief washed over her. She charged forward and in a battle cry worthy of her Viking, she swung and hit him square in the chest. When he bent forward to catch the breath she knocked out of him, she nailed him again over the back of his head, rendering him unconscious and bleeding on the floor.

She stepped over his body and walked out into the vast openness of the empty warehouse. Except that it wasn't completely empty. Out of nowhere, snarling red brains were bombarding her. She couldn't catch a complete thought, but she knew they were all angry and they were focusing that anger directly at her. Sookie looked around as quickly as she could, trying to figure out where the exits were in this hell-hole, but before she could get a clear layout of the place, two Weres came charging towards her, growling and foaming at the mouth.

Remembering moves from the professional wrestlers her and Jason used to watch on Saturday morning TV, she waited until they came to her before she swung her coat rack weapon and made contact with the side of one of their faces. Unlike the one she knocked down, back in the office, this one only seemed to get angrier. In fact, the air seemed to shimmer around him and he was pulling his clothes off. _Oh God! He's going to shift_, she thought. She had seen this in one of the Were's minds she read the other night and now she was going to witness it firsthand. Could she fight a true Werewolf, with a coat rack, no less?

Figuring they were probably at their weakness in mid-shift she hesitated before aiming the pointy end of the pole and charging full speed right at him. She impaled him instantly and the force of it threw her back on her ass.

Before she could get up and regain her balance, the second one was on her and she heard other things, man or animal she couldn't be sure, charging towards them. The close contact of the angry Were not only allowed her to hear his thoughts but activated that strange ability to harness the emotions around her. She felt her own body hum with a strange energy and just as the big bully brought his arm back to punch her, she reached up and touched his torso, right around his heart and he flew backwards off her, like he had been electrocuted.

She stood quickly, crouching in a defense pose and slowly scouting to the left side, where she sensed might be an exit. Five large Weres stood in front of her now, one getting ready to shift. She focused with all her brainpower on the anger they were sending out of their bodies and waited for the next one to approach. One by one as the non-shifted Weres came after her, she simply reached out and touched them and they flew backwards, all as if they had touched a live wire.

Sookie felt confident now, almost cocky that she could take on the whole world. That was until she realized that there were vampires among the mix. _Shit_, she thought, _now I'm dead_. The final Were, the one who had shifted, turned around and ran off, as the dark vampires stalked towards her. She was bleeding and smelled of fairy, definitely not good odds against vampires. She tried to remember everything Eric had told her. _Don't run, they are faster than you and it just brings out their predatorial instincts. Never turn you back on one or any enemy for that matter. They are sensitive to silver and a stake to the heart is affective at sending them to their final death_. Too bad, she was fresh out of silver or stakes at the moment.

She continued to side step towards the left and back up a little, while they patiently stalked toward her. Soon she would either be flush to the wall or a door, neither provided the escape she was looking for. "Who are you?" she decided that she might as well ease her curiosity if she was going to die or be turned by one of these vamps.

Nobody responded.

"What do you want with me?" she tried again. Still no answer.

Suddenly Sookie felt a complete sense of calm and warmth spread over her. It wasn't her own feeling, which suddenly gave her hope, hope that Eric was finally here and was going to save her -- that her vampire knight in shining armor or maybe black leather, would fly her off into the moonlight.

The stranger vamps must have heard him approach because they stopped and looked up and around the empty space. That was the opening Sookie needed and she launched herself at the closest vampire, praying that her little magic stun gun powers didn't fail her now.

The vampire, a male Hispanic looking one, yelped in pain almost instantly and his skin started to peel away where she touched him. She laid her hands on every piece of bare flesh she could touch, including his eyes, while he flailed around in pain. Something loud dropped from his hands onto the floor. She looked down and saw some kind of fancy jeweled knife with a blade that curved like a sickle. Instantly she grabbed it and stabbed it into his heart, pulling it out and rolling to her side before he started spewing blood and disintegrating all over her. Good thing she had had that experience with Long Shadow a few nights back.

Jumping to her feet, she again crouched in a defensive mode, this time, fancy knife in hand, waiting for the next attacker. There was a lot of commotion going on around her and cries of pain. Everything was happening so fast and in the darkness that she only caught shadows and blurs of body parts flying by. She assumed Eric and maybe some of the others were there to rescue her.

Just as she started to move forward into the melee, she heard a rushing sound coming from her right. She was knocked to the ground without being able to see who or what it was. She flinched, anticipating that her head would bounce off the hard concrete, but instead, a large cool hand appeared under it instantly. Intensely cold blue eyes stared down at her. "Lover," Eric whispered, before planting a toe-curling kiss on her.

As quickly as he brought her down, he had her back up on her feet, rushing her towards the opposite side of the building. _So much for instinct_, she thought. Sookie had been backing herself into a corner and not to an exit all along. Good thing Eric showed when he did. "Quickly," he said, pulling her along behind him.

At the blink of an eye, four very large vampires surrounded them. They reminded Sookie of Sumo wrestlers but without the weird large cloth diapers, you typically see. They were waving their hands around them just like an old-fashioned karate movie and if it wasn't for the dire circumstances they were in, Sookie would have had a good ol' belly laugh over that. Instead, she decided to create a diversion and summoned her energy from the vampires. Vampire emotions seemed much stronger to Sookie than Weres and instantly she felt charged, like a battery.

Crooking her finger in a 'come hither' motion, the Sumo vampire in front of her, took the challenge. As soon as he reached for her, she swung out with one hand and sliced his arm clean off with the knife she still held in her her other. She briefly looked down at it in awe at the sharpness of it, before snapping back her attention to the now, really pissed off Sumo guy. She jammed her fingers right into his eyes and then kicked him in the privates before backing up, touching backs with Eric, who was apparently busy fending off two more Sumo guys.

The final vampire was standing there, staring at her stunned at what she had just done to the other one. "What are you?" he asked in broken English. She locked eyes with him, willing him to be still for just a second more. She grabbed his neck, thick with muscle and covered in intricate tattoos. Her electricity shocked him, but didn't throw him like the Weres or burn him like the other vampire. He stood perfectly rooted in place, but started convulsing like he had been strapped down to an electric chair. Sookie took that moment of involuntary movement and sunk her knife through his chest.

She pulled back instantly and spun to see Eric finish off the last of his opponents. He grabbed her free hand and they ran towards the door. Just as Eric had yanked it open, Sookie heard a noise, looked to her right, and saw a vampire coming out of nowhere, charging towards them, hand raised as if to strike, with the sharpest wooden stake she had ever seen. She followed his trajectory and realized he was aiming directly for Eric's heart.

"NOoooo!" she cried, shoving Eric as hard as she could out of the way, just as the vampire's arm came down, the stake caught the side of her body. Sookie instantly fell to the floor in a heap, the growing wetness of her blood quickly spread across the floor. She glanced up at the ceiling, trying to catch her breath, without much success. She must have been hallucinating because she swore she saw Eric flying above her, like an angel, but instead of wings on his back, he had a man's body in his hands and he was ripping body parts off him, limb by limb and tossing them all over. Sprays of the vampire's blood were falling down on Sookie, like rain. She turned her head to the side to try and shield any of it from getting in her eyes or mouth. Then everything went black.

The next thing she remembered was flying through the cool night air, held tightly in Eric's arms. "You're OK?" she forced out.

He looked down at her briefly, pain evident in his eyes, "Don't talk, we'll be there soon."

She wasn't sure exactly were 'there' was, but she closed her eyes and everything went black again.

The next thing she saw was the ceiling to the Penthouse. She knew this part of the ceiling, it was the part right above her bed. She looked to her left and there was a strange vampire licking her side and getting ready to pull the stake out. "God, no, please don't do that!" she cried out.

"No, Sookie! Don't look! Look at me!" Eric said urgently, from somewhere beside her. She felt around for his hand, not really being able to focus her eyesight on anything because of the pain. He grabbed her hand and let her hold on as tight as she wanted.

The next thing she knew, the stake was ripped from her body and someone was licking away at her side. She screamed and screamed until she didn't have the energy to do anything else but breathe. "Let go, Sookie," Eric whispered in her ear. Instantly, she loosened her death grip on his hand. "No, not of me. Of the pain. Look at me, focus on my eyes. You will let go of your pain right now and drift away. When you wake up, you will feel right as rain. Do you hear me, Sookie?" Eric said, searching her eyes for comprehension, for any signal that his glamour and his command had taken affect on her. He wasn't sure it would work with all her little quirks and gifts, but he had to try. The pain was too much for both of them to endure much longer.

He thanked everyone who came to help, asked Pam to get someone to clean up the mess, burn the sheets and her clothes, while he took Sookie to his daytime chamber.

No one knew who was responsible for Sookie's kidnapping. From what information Claudine and Alcide could provide, it seemed someone had waited for the right moment and took out Cal at the back employee entrance, just as Sookie was making her way to the restroom. That meant, there were people in Merlotte's working with whoever was responsible.

It took Eric nearly two hours to track Sookie to an old warehouse in Bossier City, along the Red River. She had already taken out a few Weres and a vampire, by the looks of things, when he showed up. He never dreamed there would be such an assembly of trained assassins when he finally figured out where she had been taken or he would have brought others with him. This was big -- bigger than he had imagined. He needed answers from Niall and he needed them soon. The Revelation was in five days and the Queen was calling for Sookie to be there tomorrow or the next day.

With her injuries, Eric wasn't sure when or if Sookie would be physically capable of traveling to New Orleans. Nevertheless, he couldn't tell Sophie-Anne that Sookie had been staked, in an attempt to save his life. It was his job to provide the protection to _her_ and now they considered her an asset to the state. If he failed in protecting her, it would be deemed an act of treason. He would be punished and possibly sent to final death, making it a checkmate in the game of who wins the telepath.

Sookie Stackhouse, part-fairy barmaid, who apparently had inherited more than just some parlor trick, mind-reading skill and the 'essential spark'. Eric laughed to himself about the word 'spark'. That's exactly what she seemed to have, literally – some ability to harness the negative energy around her and turn it into a positive electrical charge, shocking anything around her. In addition, she appeared to have a bit of glamouring ability on top of that. He witnessed how that one giant vampire was clearly glamoured into standing still, while she worked her magic in him.

He pulled her tightly into his side, knowing that his cool skin would help keep her healing body from overheating. He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose and finally her lips. "Love you," she murmured, snuggling in closer to him still. "So sorry."

Eric just shushed her, pulling her Gran's quilt around her, that Claudine had dropped off. She was amazing and she was his, regardless of her thoughts of manufactured feelings. He felt how she reacted to his presence, to his kiss. She was his and she would be his.

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**A/N:** Ok. So I got a little crazy with the fight scene and didn't make it to the 'Open Coffin' party. However, I thought it was important to squeeze in Jason, the very real threat surrounding Sookie and her cool powers! Hit the little green button and let me know your thoughts!!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I have been so busy lately reading all the fab new stories being posted by you guys! One in particular I'm loving is by Lubadub, called "What it Means to Forget" (...../s/5668384/1/What_It_Means_To_Forget). Check it out later if you get a chance. Also, this chapter is dedicated to Robert Burns, whom this story's name is from. For those of you who don't know, he is a famous Scottish literary genius and his birthday was Monday. I have a close Scottish friend who helped me name this story and reminds me quite often of how great Scotland's Favorite Son was. :))

**Disclaimer:** Same as before, except that I probably should add, that I claim no ownership to TB, if it seems like I've borrowed from the show. All the rest is _mine._ **PS:** Thank you for all your love previous chapter. **I am much obliged**.

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Sookie was only slightly aware of being moved and then a blessed coolness wrapped around her body. A fire burned inside every part of her body. It started from the stake wound and curled its way through each nerve ending, spreading out and following each pathway, the way a flame follows an arsonist's trail of gasoline. Even her fingernails burned. Sweat oozed from every pore, yet she shivered and gooseflesh covered every inch of skin.

Oddly, though, despite the mind numbing pain, she felt love and comfort surround her. She swore she smelled Gran. It was if she was small again and Gran was holding her, wrapped in one of their old quilts back at the farmhouse. "Gran…" she whispered, as she slowly sank into blackness – an empty void that was sucking her backwards towards a fine point of light.

When she stopped, there was soft white light surrounding her. _I must be dead_, she thought. _Eric and Niall are going to be so pissed, and at each other, I bet_. "I'm glad I won't be around for _that_ confrontation," she said aloud, spinning around, her hands slightly out from her sides, in a pirouette.

"Hello?" she said, her voice echoing as if she was in a grand canyon.

"Hi, honey," Sookie heard a very familiar voice respond.

"Gran? Is that you? Where are you?" Sookie asked, spinning around again, trying to make out anything through the light that had become increasingly intense in the last few seconds.

"Right here," Gran replied, instantly standing to Sookie's right-hand side.

"Oh!" Sookie cried out, startled. "Gran!" she exclaimed turning and bringing her into a tight embrace. "Oh, Gran! I have missed you terribly. But, where are we? Am I dead?" Sookie asked, a bit in shock and overwhelmed to see Gran again. Her voice was still echoing a little, as if they were in a small, hallowed room.

"No, honey, you are not dead, thanks to that lovely Viking of yours," Gran smiled slyly.

"You know about Eric? How? Can you see me from where you are?" Sookie asked.

"I knew of him before. I had seen him," Gran replied, tapping her temple with her finger.

"I don't understand," Sookie said.

"Don't you now? With all that you have discovered and learned these last few days, you doubt what I say to you now? Surely, I didn't raise you to be so reactionary. Now, enough of this. Come, I have something to show you and we haven't a lot of time," Gran commanded, holding out her hand to Sookie.

Sookie put her hand in Gran's and she noted how it felt the same as she remembered. That soft skin of an older person, wrinkled and withered from the years, yet somehow smooth as a baby. Her Gran held tightly and closed her eyes. Sookie followed suit and soon they were floating, at least that was the impression she got. When the sensation stopped, she cracked open an eye and saw her Gran facing her, a gentle smile on her face.

Gran let go of her hand and said, "Go on, open your eyes now and pay attention to what you are about to see. It will answer some of the questions you've been seeking. Try not to talk, he is very magical and may be able to hear you."

"Who?" Sookie asked. Gran didn't need to answer, because Niall appeared off to her left. They were in a room, much like a library. Not like a library in someone's home though, more like the public library, with its rows and stacks of books reaching up to the high ceilings. There was an elaborate fireplace directly in front of where Gran and she now stood. Sookie thought it was odd that someone would have such a thing in the middle of highly flammable and surely precious objects. It was just asking for trouble as far as she was concerned.

Niall seemed to be pacing back and forth in front of a large oil painting, one she recognized. It was the same painting Eric had above her fireplace at the penthouse -- the one of a Viking funeral. He had told her it was an original though, so, she looked closer. This one was not of a funeral, but of a battle. What made this one seem so familiar was the fact that the subjects seemed all familiar, a mix of Viking-like warriors, but others too. Men dressed in elaborate attire, ethereally beautiful, swinging heavy swords at one another. As she looked closer, she swore she recognized Niall, standing off in the corner with one arm crossed over his chest, while the other was raised, with his pointer finger resting on his lips. His smirk rivaled that of the _Mona Lisa_ herself. Following his gaze in the picture, she took in the small clusters of men, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a variety of weaponry. One stood out among all others – A giant of a man, with long wheat colored hair, pulled back in an elaborate braid. He was holding a man, his back against his chest, hand under his chin and a blade pressed against his throat. It was unmistakably Eric. She had no doubt in her mind. She had his image burned into her brain and looking at the painting now, she was without a doubt that this was some depiction of a battle that Niall and Eric had been in together. What she couldn't tell by the scene, was whether they were on the same side of the battle or not. Niall and the man Eric had in his grasp, seemed to be wearing the same type of clothing, while Eric was in mere rags. The smile on Niall's face, suggested he was happy with the pending outcome, however. Sookie didn't know what to think. Her Gran gently squeezed her hand, bringing her back to the present.

Niall was still pacing, as if trying to decide what to do next. He was visibly anxious. Finally, he stopped directly in front of the painting, reached out and pressed his palm in to the right side of the enormous gilded frame. To Sookie's shock, the painting rotated into the wall, turning on a central pivot like a revolving door. _A hidden doorway_.

Sookie tried to wriggle free, but Gran held her firmly, waiting for Niall to pass through the opening behind the canvas. Then in the blink of an eye, they too had passed through just as the 'Battle Scene' pivoted shut behind them. She could see heavy insulation on the back of the canvas, making sure that whatever sounds were made back here were apparently not meant to be heard by the outside world.

The space behind the painting was cramped, more like a hallway than a room. They silently drifted behind Niall to the far side of the space, where they were met with an imposing pair of wooden doors, with intricate carvings covering their surface.

Niall opened them slowly, casting a glance behind him, to make sure no one was following. For a moment, Sookie thought they had been caught, but was quickly relieved when he turned back and continued on through the doorway. Again, she and Gran effortlessly floated in behind him as they stopped on a small landing. Sookie found herself looking down a narrow ramp into a deep basement.

The subterranean space in which Niall performed his experiments was ingeniously hidden. His palace was a shared space, with several staff, relatives and close advisors all living in the vast building. The lower part of the palace was comprised of a labyrinth of tiny chambers and tight passages, three levels deep. This space appeared much like a human's home basement, to those lucky enough to make it this far. The visible part of the 'cellar' appeared quite normal with piles of crates and a hodgepodge of storage. But, there was a sizable area that had been walled off for his clandestine practices.

The private workspace of Niall Brigant was a suite of small rooms, each with a specialized purpose. The area's sole entrance was a steep ramp secretly accessible through the library, making the area's discovery virtually impossible. The incline seemed steep and narrow. The walls on either side were made of cement, awash in a bluish light that seemed to emanate from below. The air that wafted up was warm and pungent, laden with an eerie blend of smells… the sharp bite of chemicals, the smooth calm of incense and the dry earthy musk of vampire.

As Niall walked past several closed doors and headed directly for the largest room at the end of the corridor, his aura seemed to come alive in a cerulean glow, not unlike the specialized lighting that helped guide them along their path. As he entered the room, he turned again, narrowing his eyes, as if sensing Sookie and Gran's presence. Gran briefly squeezed Sookie's hand in reassurance that they were safe.

In the center of the chamber was a stone table and centered over it, hung what appeared to be a pot rack, but instead of standard kitchen fare, there were several types of daggers, all with jewel encrusted handles, but with varying shapes of blades and edgings. Taking off his designer suit coat and tie, and rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt, Niall began his preparations.

He went to a shelf and retrieved a small ivory box, which he carried to the table and placed it next to some other items, including what looked like a wine glass with a pewter base and handle. The dull silver metal wrapped up around the bottom of the glass like the palm of a hand, while splashes of it shot up around the bottom, like fingers clasped around it. Although he was not ready to use what was inside the box, he could not resist opening the lid and admiring the treasure inside.

_A knife_.

Inside the ivory box, nestled in a cradle of black velvet, shone the sacrificial knife that Niall had witnessed being used many lifetimes ago. It was unimaginably old and believed lost during the last battle between the fairies and the vampires. The precious blade was made of a special blend of alloys, attached to a handle made of human bone. It was used only for special sacrifices, such as allegiances among powerful vampires. Legend said it had been used by the first vampire, an Egyptian Queen, who was worshipped as a goddess. She was never required to use her fangs, because her handmaidens would bring her a fresh human every night, using this very knife to slice their throat and collect their blood for her to drink. It supposedly had great mystical powers and now it was in Niall's possession, which had gone to great lengths to retrieve it for his own uses.

He gently lifted the knife from its cushioned compartment and reverently polished the blade with a silk cloth soaked in purified water. When he had finished admiring the sacred blade, he turned his attention to a semi-concealed door across the room. He glided over to it, opening it up slowly to reveal a vampire, chained in silver, on a vertical board.

The vampire, a male who looked like he had been turned in his late teens but, somehow also appeared to be quite old, narrowed his eyes at Niall. The look was as if he could simply turn the Prince to ash. Niall just smirked at the vampire and pulled the board, which appeared to have wheels, over to the center table.

Without a word, Niall picked up the dagger with his right hand and the wrist of the vampire with his left and made a swift cut, holding the now dripping wrist over the goblet that remained on the table.

The wound was slow to heal, probably due to the silver that had weakened the captive vampire. "Whatever you are up to Brigant, you will fail miserably, mark my words," croaked the vampire.

Niall dropped the vampires nearly healed wrist, then in another swift movement, cut his own wrist and allowed it to drip into the same goblet. After enough blood had filled the cup, he brought his arm up to the vampire's mouth. He was visibly aroused by the scent of pure fairy blood and consumed with its lust. It was a welcomed taste, the Prince's life source, so he greedily lapped at the wound, until it closed. Next, Niall set down the knife and picked up the goblet, swirling the crimson liquid around, as if he were allowing a fine Bordeaux to breathe. Finally, he tossed back the liquid, wrinkling his nose a tad, before setting the goblet back down and rolling the vampire back into his hiding spot. "Until next time, old chap," Niall quipped, shutting the door and locking it.

Sookie was mesmerized, disgusted and intrigued by what she had just witnessed. Gran again squeezed her hand, causing Sookie to refocus her attention on her. Gran nodded her head and closed her eyes, so Sookie followed suit. The next thing she knew, Sookie felt like she was floating again until she recognized behind her eyes, the soft white glow of light from before. Once the floating sensation stopped, she opened her eyes and looked at Gran. "Was that real? Did that really happen, Gran?" she asked.

"Yes, honey. I'm afraid it is all too real," Gran sighed, as if the weight of the world were upon her shoulders.

"Why did he do that? Why is he keeping that poor vampire chained up like that, Gran? That's just not right!" Sookie cried. She knew some vampires were monsters, the real deal and not as gentle, as Eric and his retinue seemed, but still, no one deserved to be treated like _that_!

"Some of your answers lie with your Viking. The rest you must seek out on your own. It is your destiny. I have seen it," Gran answered cryptically. Then she leaned in, kissed Sookie on her forehead and gave her a tight squeeze. "Be safe child and trust in your own intuition. Do not fight what your heart is telling you and use the gifts you were born with, for they _are _truly _gifts_." And then, she was gone. Sookie was sailing forward into the black void again until she could feel the burning feeling again and the shivering twitch of her body.

"Sookie? Can you hear me? Are you OK? Sookie?" came a rapid fire of questions and the feeling of being shaken by cool hands. Sookie's eyes snapped out, blinking a couple of times to focus on who was responsible of the shaking. "Sookie?" Eric's familiar timber registered this time.

She smiled a little at the sight of his alert, pale blue eyes. "Eric," she sighed, turning to lay flat on her back and stretch. He followed her by rolling on his side, head propped up by one arm, while his other lay possessively across her stomach and a leg thrown over hers.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I've been staked by a psychopathic vampire! How else should I feel?" she half-joked.

He chuckled a little at her characterization. "Are you in pain?" he asked, brushing back a strand of her that had fallen into her face.

"Oddly, no, not anymore. I am a bit itchy though and I could really use a bath. I feel like I just completed an Iron Man contest, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to get up," she answered, scooting a little closer to him. She still felt a bit warm and his cool body was like a drink of ice water on a hot summer's day.

"Well, that's what I'm here for. Shall I draw you a bath?" he asked kissing her shoulder.

"That would be lovely, except that I'm not ready for you to leave me just yet. You are the only thing keeping my body temperature stable right now, I think," she replied. So, they spent the next several minutes cuddled together.

"How did that vampire heal me? I didn't drink any of his blood, did I?" Sookie asked, panicking a little.

"No. You are my bonded. You will drink no others blood," Eric snapped, showing his possessiveness again. Sookie laughed a little at that, even though a part of her thought that his comment should make her angry. She just didn't have the energy.

"Right. So how did he do it then?" she asked again.

"Well, as you know, our saliva has healing powers. Ray Don's 'talent' is to produce some extra of whatever it is in our saliva that causes you to heal. So, I called him in to clean and heal your wounds, while Dr. Ludwig supervised. She also left some painkillers behind for you to take, if you are in too much pain," he explained, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Who's Dr. Ludwig? That doctor who told you I should drink synthetic blood the other day?" Sookie asked.

"Yes. She is a supernatural doctor. She knows just about everything about every kind of Supe, it seems. There isn't much she hasn't seen, but a human being staked in place of a vampire was a first – for us all," Eric tensed, pausing uncomfortably. He was building up to say something that he had never really had to say before, especially to a human. "Sookie," he whispered, "you saved my life. You saved my life, at a great personal sacrifice to yourself. You should not have done that," Eric scolded.

"Eric, if you had died, who would protect me?"

"I don't want you to ever do anything like that again, do you hear me?" he said, again with the scolding father tone.

"I can't promise you anything, Eric. Besides, you rescued me too. We saved each other. Consider us even," Sookie said, squeezing his hand. It reminded her of Gran. _Wait…was that real_? "Eric, did I say or do anything while I was, uh, unconscious?" she asked.

"Actually, you were mumbling quite a bit, something about your Gran and Niall. You seemed very upset about something. I just assumed you were hallucinating. Your fever was high, for about an hour or so."

"If I asked you something very personal, would you answer me honestly, Eric?" Sookie asked hesitantly.

"Lover, I will not, nor can I lie to you. You would be able to tell through the bond," Eric answered. "Why? What is it you want to know?" Curiosity getting the better of him.

"Were you and Niall ever involved in a battle – say vampires versus fairies?" her toned troubled.

"Well, yes. That is how we met. It was during the last great Fairy War. Niall and I became sort of allies and negotiated the end of the war. How did you know this?" Eric was stunned.

"Did you ever see Niall drink blood?" she continued, without answering his question.

"Sookie, how do you know all this? Who have you been talking to? Did Claudine know of this?"

"Just answer the question Eric, please. It's important," Sookie's temper flared.

"Yes. Yes, we all joined in a celebratory 'feast' so to speak, at the conclusion of the last battle. We shared a toast in a sacred chalice, combined with the bloods of the eldest vampires surviving the battle, mine because of my role in negotiating the peace deal and Niall's. Niall was the only fairy present, due to his ability to mask his scent. But, it was an important milestone, where we agreed to live peacefully among each other and respect each other's laws. This was where my allegiance to him formed. He became Prince after that last battle and we became tied, so to speak," Eric reminisced the events of that fateful night.

"Was the goblet something like glass and pewter? Did it look like a hand holding it at its base?" Sookie mimicked what she meant, turning a clawed hand upward.

"I'm not sure if I remember," Eric pauses, thinking back and wondering why she is asking such strange questions. "You know, I think you are right. There was a member of our Council there. He performed the ritual slice, of each of our wrists, with a special ceremonial dagger and we let our blood drop in the goblet. Then when it was all combined, we all passed it around and drank from it. How do you know all this Sookie? What are you not telling me? What happened when you were in that warehouse?" Eric asked. He could feel Sookie's nervousness, excitement and disgust through the bond.

"I'm not sure you'll believe me, but I think it is important and explains all the strange events that having been going on up to this point."

Sookie took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm and trust in Eric. "When I was unconscious or hallucinating, as you say, I had a vision," she paused to take in Eric's reaction. His eyebrows were pulled together with concern, but he wasn't laughing, so she continued to explain what she saw.

"She told me it was my destiny to take what I saw and follow my heart. I have no idea what that means, but I believe that what I saw has something to do with that celebration you guys had after the war and everything that is going on up to this point, including my kidnapping.

"In fact, I was using a knife, similar to the ones I saw in Niall's secret chamber, at the warehouse. One of the vamps dropped it. Did you see it? I'm sure I had it in my hand when I was staked," Sookie asked.

"No, but I will send Pam to see if she can retrieve it. If I see it, I may be able to identify it. However, you said Niall was using a knife in his secret room, so it cannot be the same knife. I am sure there are many ceremonial knives around though. We vampires are a superstitious lot, so items that seem to possess mystical powers are fairly common."

"I have one last question," Sookie squirmed, swallowing the knot trying to form in her throat. "What do you get for protecting me, Eric? What is your reward in all this?" Part of her didn't want to know, but she felt it was her right and it may have some bearing on her next move.

She sensed Eric's anxiety through the bond. She could tell he didn't want to answer that question. "OK. If you won't answer that question, than answer me this: What did you get for helping Niall kill the reigning Prince?" Now that really got a reaction from him.

Eric jump out of bed and started stalking back and forth in front of her, running his hands through his long, blond hair. He had a bit of bed head going on and he was just in a pair of black silk boxers. Sookie couldn't help but appreciate the view, even though the situation between them was precarious right now.

"How could you know about that? Nobody knew!" Eric bellowed.

"Just a guess. It was based on the painting he had in his library. It showed you getting ready to slice the throat of an enemy – an enemy that was dressed just like Niall. I didn't put it together until just now when you said he became Prince after that. The look on his face in the portrait was one of grateful anticipation… that's the only way I can describe it…he was grateful for your actions and anticipating his rise to power," Sookie replied, proud of herself for keeping it together so far.

"I really don't want to tell you this, Lover. It was a different time – so many things were different, I was different. I was very young for a vampire," he said, stopping directly in front of her, pleading with his eyes.

"Tell me, Eric. I can't promise I won't freak out, but I'll try and keep an open mind. I can tell it's bad. So just come out with it," Sookie encouraged, trying her best to remain calm.

"I know you'll think I'm the enemy but I can assure you that is not the case," Eric started. "Niall offered me freedom, freedom from my Maker, who was a terrible, wicked creature."

He looked her directly in the eye and took an unnecessary breath. "And as a bonus, he presented me with one of the captured fairy princesses, from the 'enemy' camp of fairies," Eric said turning his back on Sookie. He couldn't bear to look at her face. "She wasn't a full fairy, she was only a half or a quarter, but one with the essential spark, one that was favored by the Prince I killed," Eric added.

Sookie drew a quick breath, trying to rationalize what he just told her. "I guess I don't need to guess what happened to her, do I? Did you bond with her too? Did you love her, Eric?"

Relief washed over the bond, then sadness. "No, Lover. It wasn't like that. She didn't survive the dawn," he said.

There was an uncomfortable silence for several minutes, each trying to surmise what the other was feeling, thinking, by probing the bond.

Eric spoke first. "I am vampire Sookie and she was part fairy. The bloodlust was high, I had been battling for months against the fae. There was terrible loss on both sides. It was an exciting time. I had helped broker a significant peace deal between two supernatural races that could potentially wipe out the world. I couldn't help myself," Eric explained, his tone melancholy.

"I understand Eric. I don't know why I do, but I just do. I don't like it, but you are what you are. And you are right, it was an important achievement on your part," butterflies swirled in her stomach and she ached for the poor girl, who met such an awful end.

"So, did Niall offer the same deal again?" she asked, tensing for the answer. Would Niall really offer her to Eric as a reward for keeping her alive? Is that why Niall seemed to encourage their relationship, didn't balk at her having his blood, at bonding with him – because she was meant to be Eric's all along?

Eric turned to face her, eyes wide with speculation. "Honestly Sookie, I never asked what I was to get in return and he never offered. He simply tasked me with retrieving you and in that mysterious way that fairies behave, he cryptically said something about 'all being revealed' in due time. I have no reason to doubt him-- no reason not to help him. We've had a bit of a kinship since that battle – we have had each other's blood…" Eric trailed off, thinking about everything.

"Do you think he meant for us to happen?" Sookie asked, more to herself. "Did he know somehow I would fall for you, maybe because of your connection?" Sookie tried to sit up but her side still hurt and she moaned a little in discomfort.

Eric was instantly by her side. "You are in pain. I will draw you a bath and give you some of my blood. Wait right there."

Sookie opened her mouth to protest, but Eric silenced her with a kiss. "No arguing."

In a flash, Eric was in the bathroom and Sookie heard the water running. She threw the quilt off her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Don't, I think you are too weak to walk. I will carry you. You can walk after you have had some blood," Eric was back at her side and lifting her out of bed as if she were a small child.

He set her in the tub and then removed his boxers and climbed in behind her and pulled her to his chest. "Just relax for a few minutes," he whispered in the side of her neck. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the warm water on her skin and Eric washing her. She still felt anxiety in the bond, some of it being hers and some his. Neither of them liked the idea of being controlled and Niall seemed to be playing them all like a fiddle.

"I have some questions, Eric," she said, laying her head back against his chest and wrapping his arms around her middle, just below her breasts. "The Revelation, I gather, is about you all coming out with some big announcement that you exist. Who's idea was that anyway?"

"Well, there is a Council of Elders, including an oracle. Once the discovery of synthetic was made, they met and the Oracle, the Ancient Pythonness, claimed it was our time to come forth and reveal ourselves to the world. Not everyone agrees with the decision, but as a group, we don't have much of a choice," Eric explained.

Sookie hugged his arms around her a little tighter. "So if the synthetic blood hadn't been discovered, then you all would probably remain in hiding? Were there vampires invested in that project, I wonder?"

"I believe so, but I am not certain. The humans involved claim it was due to blood donation shortages and the problem of contaminated sources. But I believe the vampires may have pushed it for a broader political agenda," Eric explained.

"What political agenda would that be? To take over the world? A bit '_Pinkie and the Brain_', don't you think?" Sookie laughed.

"I do not understand this term, but yes, I believe they are thinking that eventually between our glamour and our blood, that we can control the humans."

"It's an animated TV program about a couple of lab rats who are always scheming to take over the world. I think it was a play on that famous Robert Burns quote…_The best laid plans of mice and men oft goes astray_. You know the saying?"

"Yes, I know the saying, in fact I knew good 'ole Rabbie Burns myself," Eric replied with a laugh.

"Of course you did," she laughed with him, trying to picture what Eric may have looked like in the 1800's. "Wait, so your grand scheme is to glamour us all and if that doesn't succeed, you'll bond us to you, so you can control us like little vamp-bots, is that the idea?" Sookie asked, suddenly tense over her revelation.

Eric laughed, but it was short and unfunny. "You certainly have a way with words, Lover. It is not _my_ plan. Just as it may not be your plan to declare war on a particular country. As individuals, we may not agree with our leaders plans, but we all get sucked in at some point. It is not my intention to make you my 'vamp-bot', as you say. It was never my intention to bond to you. Besides, I don't think I could control you if I tried. You have to willingly relinquish your control for me to have any kind of affect over you."

"Will I ever be able to leave you? I mean, what if I find someone – someone I can have a normal life with? Would I be able to pursue that or will I always be 'yours'?" Sookie asked honestly.

"Why would you want to leave me? You cannot have a life with me? Can I not offer you a home and provide for you as any other man? Do you not love me, as you have claimed?" Eric was angered by her questions.

"Don't get me wrong, Eric. I certainly appreciate all you have done for me and I do have feelings for you. I took a stake in the side for you, after all. I'm just trying to understand this bond thing and what it all means. And you are forgetting one important thing you cannot give me – children. That is something I have always dreamed of…being a mother," Sookie sighed.

Eric could sense Sookie's sadness through the bond. He didn't know how to respond to her. She was right in the fact that he couldn't give her children, nor would he want something so vulnerable around. Their current lifestyle certainly wasn't even safe enough for them, let alone a baby. "It is not safe for you to have children at this time, Sookie. Look at you. Would you want to subject an innocent to this life?"

"I suppose not. I just want to know if it's even an option, that's all," she said, playing with his fingers. She could feel his resolve through the bond. He did have a point.

"If you really want to leave, once it is deemed safe and I have performed my duty acceptably, than I would do nothing to prevent you from leaving, should you so desire," he said, but it pained him to do so. _Damned feelings_.

"I'm sorry, Eric. Let's not discuss this anymore, OK? I'm just happy that you can find me if you need to, in a hurry. It's annoying sometimes to have feelings that aren't my own, but as long as you promise not to manipulate me through the bond, then I'll trust in what we have. My heart tells me that you are the only one I can trust right now." She moved his hands up to her breasts and tried to think of more pleasant thoughts.

"I should give you my blood now. You want to do it here or in bed?" he asked, rolling her nipples between his thick fingers.

Sookie blushed. How could they go from having such a serious conversation one minute, to serious sexual innuendo the next. "Bed," she squeaked.

Eric was out of the tub, drying off before she finished saying the 'd' in bed. She watched him, enjoying the view before her. Water droplets were running down his sculpted chest and his nipples were taut from the air. One drop in particular caught her attention and she followed its path with her eyes, as it snaked its way down his abs, around his belly button, into the happy trail of soft blond hair that led to the Promised Land.

"If you are done eye-fucking me, lover, I'll get you out now," Eric laughed.

Sookie looked up to see that he was standing there with a clean towel in his hand, waiting for her. She blushed again, then slowly stood, testing her balance and weak muscles. Eric picked her up and had her wrapped in the towel before she even had a chance to blink. "Did you see anything in particular you liked?" Eric said, before claiming her mouth with his.

Soon, they were back on the bed, seated in the same position as they were in the tub. Sookie heard that strange crunch sound before being presented with Eric's bleeding wrist. "Just a little, Dear One. You've had quite a bite of blood lately," he warned.

With every draw of his blood, she felt his hardness swell against her back and her own wetness grow. Eric growled in her ear, "Enough," and pulled his wrist away, licking the two small puncture wounds closed.

Sookie instantly felt better, stronger. "You blood is amazing, Eric. I swear I feel like I could fly right now."

"I have a better idea of what you could do right now," Eric murmured, flipping her over, so that they were facing each other. Her soft, warm body pressed into his hard, cool one, molding into his shape. She kissed his neck and down his chest, while wrapping her hand around his gracious plenty. She had never done anything like this before, but after what she just said to him about wanting to leave, she felt remorseful and wanted to do something to show just how much she cared for him…even if he could never give her children.

Sookie was trying to heed what her Gran said to her, in her vision – "follow your heart." Her heart was saying that she was where she belonged, regardless of how she got here.

She slid down his body, making sure to rub her breasts against him along the way. She got to about eye level with his hardness and panicked. What if she did something wrong?

She pulled her hair back and sort of tied it in a messy bun. She looked up at Eric, who now had a shit-eating grin on his face and his hands clasped behind his head. "I've never, um, done this before, so if you don't mind giving me some direction when needed…" she burned from embarrassment, surely, she was a deep shade of crimson at this point.

Sookie positioned herself in such a way that she was straddling one of his legs, while angling her head to give him the best view from above. First, she ran a finger up and down the soft, but firmness of him, tracing circles along the tip. She followed that with her tongue, smiling at how it seemed like licking an ice cream cone or maybe a giant lollipop. "Smiling is good," he said, "It's all about enthusiasm."

OK, she thought, I can do that. Who wouldn't be enthusiastic about being this way with him? She curled her small fist around his tip and flattened her tongue on the top. She knew there was no way she could fit him all into her mouth without gagging, so she was going to improvise with some hand action as well. As she slowly eased him in to her hot, wet mouth, she gently but firmly moved her hand along with it. That way, it gave the perception that it was all her mouth. She worked him for several minutes, applying pressure with her lips and flattened tongue, forming a tight suction around him with her mouth and adding a twist of the wrist. "Perfect," he whispered, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation.

Then she sped up, increasing the intensity of all her ministrations. He moaned and began to thrust a little into her, careful not to be too forceful with his reactions. She moved her hand down to gently caress his balls and instantly felt them firm up. That was the signal of the finale. She pressed her finger slightly on that area between his sack and his anus and he immediately exploded into her, fisting his hands through her hair, holding her still while he pumped into her mouth. She tried to breathe through her nose and just relax. The last thing she wanted to do was throw up all over him after that. While he rode out the remnants of his release, Sookie quickly grabbed her towel and dried up the mess. She was amazed at how easy it all was and how much his essence tasted like his blood.

He pulled her back up to him, kissing her with fervor on the mouth. She was a bit taken back by that because of what she just did, but he didn't mind at all. "Are you sure you've never done that before, Lover? That was amazing."

Sookie blushed and buried her face into his neck. "I just followed my instincts and your reactions, that's all. I swear, I've never even seen a…um…penis," she giggled, "before you. Well, other than magazines and movies that is."

He pulled her up for another kiss and proceeded to show her how appreciative he was of all her efforts, these last few days – several times – until dawn and exhaustion, pulled them both under.

When they both woke the next evening, they shared in another round of 'getting to know all about you' before heading up stairs for their various tasks. Sookie wanted to touch base with Claudine and Alcide about what happened at Merlotte's and if anyone found out who had kidnapped her. Eric needed to contact the Queen and find out the details of her plans for Sookie.

Eric left her at the penthouse to clean up and eat, while he went to the meeting rooms below to tend to his regular Sheriff's duties. A few hours later, after she had stuffed herself and watched some reruns on TV, Pam came to escort her down to Eric.

When they entered the room, Chow, Maxwell Lee, Alcide and someone she had not met before were gathered. Claudine was apparently conferenced in via a video uplink online – something called Skype.

"Hi Sookie," Claudine waved over the screen. Sookie smiled and waved back.

"Sookie, the Queen expects you to arrive tomorrow evening, with whomever we are sending as your guards," Eric began. "As you know, I am unable to travel with you because of my duties and obligations here, to ensure everyone is safe after the Reveal.

"Due to the obvious problem of fairies and vampires, Niall is unable to send the type of extra evening protection you need, so I've done a little thinking outside the box. Preston Pardloe," Eric pointed to the unknown man, "is a fairy and trusted ally but has the ability to transform into anything he wishes. So he will be posing as a Were, therefore eliminating the scent, and be just like Alcide. Everyone else will think he is a Were, but he'll retain his fairy abilities, magic and incredible fighting skill."

The door opened behind Sookie, but she didn't see anyone come in, until she looked down. "This is Mr. Hob," Eric introduced, "he is a goblin. He may not look like he is able to take on a vampire, but rest assured, they have a great knack for doing just that." The goblin was only about four feet tall, very cranky looking, with knobby knees and broad hands. His eyes were full of fire and malignance.

"Miss Stackhouse," he nodded his voice deep and growly. He looked Sookie over as if trying to figure out what exactly she was, his eyes glowing a little. It gave Sookie the shivers.

"There is nothing to fear. Mr. Hob will not harm you. He is meant for your protection only, Dear One," Eric reassured her.

He moved on, pointing to the video screen. "Claudine will be with you during the day, as much as possible. However, being that she cannot mask her scent, it will be important to limit physical contact with her, just so you don't incite any orgies or fighting once you meet up with the vampires in the evening. Are we clear on that Claudine?" Eric asked.

Claudine giggled. "You know how touchy-feely we are Eric. It will be hard, but I promise not to do anything to put Sookie in danger."

"_DO NOT_ let her out of your sight this time Claudine. I'm sorry Sookie, but that even means trips to powder your nose. Obviously, that was a problem last time and we will not make the same mistake twice."

As much as Sookie hated the idea of being followed everywhere….especially to the bathroom, she definitely didn't want a repeat of yesterday's kidnapping, so she nodded her head in understanding and acceptance.

"There is one more guard, a vampire, for the evening, but he will be meeting you in New Orleans separately. He is under the guise of moving from one kingdom to another and therefore cannot be seen here, associating with me. The Queen has very specific rules about those of a higher status defecting from another kingdom, so she'll be keeping a careful eye on him. But, that's the beauty of it, because, in turn, we can keep an equally careful eye on her and Andre.

"You will be flying out tomorrow morning with your entourage. Someone from the Queen's daytime staff will be picking you all up at the airport and getting you settled into her headquarters.

"It is my understanding that for the next several nights, she will be entertaining important human political figures and high-standing members of New Orleans. She'll want you to be present for each of those meetings, ensuring that they are being honest and forthright in their dealings with her. She will also want you to walk the city during the day, to see if you can notice any murmurings of the impending Revelation.

"Then on the night of, she'll be hosting a ball of sorts, with some special dignitaries and she'll again want you to use your gift to ensure all is going well.

"Are you in agreement to what I've outlined?" Eric asked in an official manner.

"Do I have a choice?" snapped Sookie.

"Well, it is much better if you agree to the terms than if you go unwillingly."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go and do my part, as long as that creep Andre stays away from me. Will I get to deal with Waldo while I'm there too?"

"Yes, the Queen will have some time set aside for that as well," Eric replied.

"Also, Sophie-Anne has agreed to compensate you handsomely for your time, you might be happy to know. She wants to ensure that you will come back again after our coming out, from time to time, just to make sure that things are going as they should – again, being compensated for your efforts," he said, shuffling some paperwork in front of him.

"Since this is your first time dealing with vampire protocol, she has informed me that appropriate attire will be provided for. However, after this time, you'll be on your own. I believe that is it. Any questions?"

"So, I guess I don't really need to pack too much, huh?" Sookie tried to smile, but failed.

"Do you guards have any questions?" Eric asked, giving them all a moment to process the information. "If you don't then you all may be excused except for Alcide, Preston, Claudine -- please stay connected and Sookie, I'd like to speak to you in private."

Eric tented his fingers in front of him, waiting with dramatic pause. "After sweeping the area that Sookie was found in last evening and based on all the information Alcide and Claudine were able to gather, your kidnapping appears to have been a joint effort between an unknown group of allied vampires and fairies. Claudine was actually able to recover the knife you found, Sookie. She and Alcide did some of their own investigation after you were brought back here and deemed well.

"Preston is certain he has seen this knife before, among the fae. But you said that it was dropped by a vampire, is that correct?" he asked Sookie.

"Yes, after I…um…touched him…he dropped it out of his hand," Sookie said, blushing at the thought of taking down a vampire.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about Sookie. You were quite brave and skilled at defending yourself. Perhaps with a little training, you would be even better. Preston seems to be familiar with this…ahhh…skill that you have inherited and has volunteered to help you develop it, if you are agreeable.

"In the meantime, trust no one at the Queen's palace. If Niall show's up, act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Claudine, I will expect you to be able to handle him, if he appears during the day. Preston, I'll look to you if it's during the evening, though I doubt he would be so bold.

"We have kept your attack quiet for the time being, just until we know more. Niall is going to be pissed enough when he finds out that there was a breach in your protection, but he'll be downright unbearable at the thought of us keeping that information from him.

"We need a better grasp of who exactly is our enemy and who is our ally. Until then, be very wary, all of you," Eric emphasized by locking eyes with each of them briefly. "Now go, get your rest. Sookie, Claudine will wake you at 8 am and help you get ready." In a very "Sheriffy" way, they were all dismissed.

Preston took this time to introduce himself to Sookie and escorted her back up to the Penthouse. "The vampire is a good man and he loves you," Preston said.

Sookie was taken aback by his bluntness. "How…how do you know that?"

"I have known him a long time and I've never seen him react to a woman, the way he does around you. It's obvious. Follow your heart and trust in us to keep you safe and all will be well, child," he said, taking her hand and kissing the back very gently before returning to the elevator.

Sookie didn't know what to think about his statement. Could it be true? Why wouldn't he just say so. After all, he seems to not have any trouble saying anything else he has on his mind.

She was too keyed up to go to sleep so soon, after really, just starting her day. Keeping vampire hours was really messing with her rest. So, she grabbed a book, changed into comfy PJs and snuggled into bed. She must have eventually fallen asleep, because about an hour before dawn, Eric woke her.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I wanted to see you before you left today. Please, please be careful, Lover and do what your guards tell you. It is for your own safety."

Sookie started to tear up. She was scared but also touched that he would come to say goodbye to her. "Now stop that. You are very strong and nothing is going to happen. Not on my watch," he said, pulling her into his lap and hugging her tightly to him. "This is an exciting time. When you get back, we'll be outed and hopefully we can go out and celebrate properly. Would you like that?" he asked, trying to calm himself as much as her. He didn't really want to let her go, but knew it was for the best in the long run.

Sookie nodded, nuzzling into his neck – her favorite spot.

"If everything goes well, I'm planning on opening a theme bar, a couple of blocks from here. Pam and I have already picked out a name. It will be called 'Fangtasia'. Do you like it?" Eric asked.

Sookie giggled. "That's the silliest name I've ever heard. I take it the theme will be vampires? Lot's of black and dark eye-makeup, huh? I was going to offer my waitressing services, but I'm not sure I would fit in."

"You can be the token human. How about that? Maybe we can make you up to be the sacrificial virgin every night and I'll take you in front of everyone!" Eric growled, snapping at her neck in a playful way.

"Dream on Mister!" she laughed.

Then everything became very serious and tense. Eric kissed her and held her, making sure she knew through the bond, that she was his and he intended to keep it that way. "I have to go now, dawn is approaching. Each of your guards will have a phone. You can call me whenever you want and I'll make sure to stay in touch as well. Understand?" he asked, taking her face into his hands, searching her eyes. With one last kiss on the tip of her nose, he was gone.

She cried herself back to sleep, until Claudine was there, way too soon, to prepare her for their big trip.

The flight and subsequent introduction back into the Queen's headquarters was uneventful. Claudine had to stay at a place down the block, just for her own protection. Preston was in full Were mode. The only difference she could tell was by his brain pattern. It wasn't quite like that of Alcide's, but being that she was the only telepath around, she was sure he was perfectly undetectable.

Sookie requested to have the day to herself, so she could mentally prepare for the next five days and see exactly what kind of outfits the Queen had picked out for her. In addition, she planned to take a nap, since the previous night's sleep was so broken. Besides, she would most likely be back on vampire hours for the next few days anyway.

She pulled out a shirt Eric had worn the other evening and put it on as her sleep clothes, nestling into the cozy bed. That was something about vampires she never expected – they seemed to be all about comfort. Maybe because for so long they had to hide in uncomfortable places and now with modern society and their impending debut, they could afford to splurge on such luxuries. She drifted off to sleep, with the sleeve of her shirt, held to her nose, thinking of her Viking.

A slight tap, tap, tapping woke her a few hours later. She looked at the clock -- it was already dark out. Without thinking, she jumped up and headed for the door. Just before she opened it, she asked, "Who is it?" Her hand hovered just over the handle and lock.

"It is I, the vampire Victor Madden," called a lovely voice.

"Are you my evening guard?" Sookie asked, wondering if anyone on the other side would be so honest to answer.

He chortled. "Do I have the honor of speaking with Sookie Stackhouse, famed telepath?"

Sookie took a deep cleansing breath, "In for a penny, in for a pound," she whispered to herself and opened the door.

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**A/N:** Up next: The Open Coffin Night! Hit the little green button and show me some love! And thank you for reading!! xox


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hi there! Remember me? I know, it's been a while. RL called and demanded some equal time. It's been a heller of a few days, but I've managed to crank this next chapter out for you, **_**finally**_**. Hope you enjoy. Disclaimer remains the same. Gracious Plenty to all of you who have hopped aboard and those still holding on tight! Love ya!

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Niall sat in his office with a privacy spell surrounding him, while he gazed at the list of five names on the crisp, linen paper he held in his left hand. Sophie-Anne and that bastard child of hers, Andre, would suffer for allowing Hadley to perish so easily. If they couldn't keep an immortal alive for more than a couple of months, they certainly wouldn't fit into the rest of his plans. Yes, their fate was sealed the moment he learned from that fool Bill Compton, of Hadley's early demise. Based on the details he had received, it was hard to say for sure who was to blame, but other than being the one that wielded the stake, he knew Waldo was not the one behind the killing.

As he carefully considered each name, he recalled from his long extensive memory, the image of each of the potential suitors for Louisiana. He didn't know all vampires, but he knew the ones that participated in the Fae War and the very powerful. When he reached the final name on the list, he could truly picture this vampire in that position. He was extremely powerful in a political sense and would be ruthless in his takeover tactics. That was precisely the impression Niall wanted to make -- Mess with his family and you and anyone around you suffered the consequences.

Popping out of the fae realm, he made his way to the vampire that would soon be the King of Louisiana.

Arriving just as they all woke up for the evening, Niall requested time before the king. Within minutes, he was in a lavishly decorated room, complete with a dais. He respectfully nodded his head to the vampire before him. "It has been a long time, vampire," Niall said, sitting down in the seat provided for him.

"Prince, it certainly has. What brings you to this realm? Come to appreciate the spoils of a vampire owned casino?" replied Felipe de Castro, King of Nevada, in his slightly Spanish tinged accent.

Niall guffawed at this. "No, not this time. Perhaps another. I'm here with a proposition for you…" For the next several hours Niall and de Castro planned and schemed a way to exact retribution from Sophie-Anne -- not only for the death of Hadley, but for putting his precious Sookie in harm's way by forcing her into service during the Revelation.

When their discussion was complete and Niall had gone back the way he'd come, Felipe picked up his phone. "Victor, come, there is much to discuss," de Castro ordered. Victor Madden was one of his most loyal subjects and diabolical when it came making something his.

Several minutes later, Victor was bowing before the King. "What can I assist you with?" he asked. Felipe went on to explain that there was a plan, involving Louisiana and something special with an old acquaintance of theirs, Eric the Norseman, in its Area 5.

"Find out what the Viking has. If it is useful, bring it to me. Do not discuss any of this with anyone, especially if the fairy Brigant shows up. Do you understand?" Felipe commanded.

"Absolutely, Master," Victor nodded. He left briskly, making plans to relocate to New Orleans and the house of Sophie-Anne LeClerq.

Three days later Victor was checking in with the Queen of Louisiana and Sheriff of Area 1. "I have left Felipe's rule for some much needed quiet time," Victor told the Queen. "He has become so power hungry over the last century, I can barely stand it anymore," he complained. He sounded like a middle-aged woman droning on about her louse of a husband.

"Enough, Madden! You will stay under my watch for the time being. You know I don't just take in defectors without thoroughly checking out their claim. You will stay in the guest quarters of the building and help yourself to whatever is mine. If I find out you have lied to me, I will stake you myself," warned Sophie-Anne, before he was dismissed.

"Norseman, Victor Madden here. I've recently relocated to New Orleans and was hoping to catch up. However, you know how paranoid Sophie-Anne gets about vampires moving from a high up position, to another state," as well she should, Victor smirked, "so I won't be able to come up there to chat. I wanted to alert you to my presence and if there is anything I can do for you while I'm stationed here, please let me know," Victor offered. He was fishing after all. Why would Niall Brigant want to spare the Viking and his area, if a takeover was in the works? What exactly was so special about him?

"Thank you for contacting me Victor. How long to do you plan on being at the Queen's residence?" Eric wondered if this was an opportunity to help secure Sookie while she stayed with the Queen. Victor was quite ruthless and more than capable of assisting in the guard of a human telepath. If he had just left de Castro's empire, it wasn't on good terms and he could probably use some money as well as political support down the road.

"Sounds like you already have an assignment for me Sheriff?" Victor chided.

"Indeed, your move couldn't have come at a more opportune time for me," Eric replied. He went on to explain what he required of Victor and they made the corresponding arrangements.

"The Viking has asked me to guard a human while she is employed by the Queen. She is his bonded and apparently, she is the telepath I've heard rumors about since arriving here. Perhaps that is Niall's interest in the Area 5?" Victor reported to de Castro.

"A telepath?! Oh! How very rare and how very splendid. Make the appropriate arrangements. I want her here before the Revelation," de Castro commanded and then hung up. _Brigant was very mistaken to ask me to help, if it's the telepath he wants to guard_, Felipe thought, rubbing his hands together, as if warming them over a fire.

There was a buzz of electricity in the air the evening Victor rose. Miss Stackhouse was to have arrived that afternoon while the vampires were still in their daytime death. Much gossip had been circulating of her talents. All were excited to be able to 'hear' what the humans are thinking at the time of the Revelation. Although the Viking had not revealed the talent of Sookie Stackhouse, the whole building seemed to know who and what she was. He had also heard rumors that the Queen and Andre planned to steal her away from the Viking, regardless if she was his bonded or not. Victor could not have that, for she was destined to become part of Felipe de Castro's regime. He found himself caught up in all the excitement too and eager for the moment to meet up with this creature.

After he helped himself to a little 'refreshment' that the Queen graciously provides all her guests, he made his way to her room. Two guards stood outside her door, both Weres by the stench of them. He eyed them both and said, "Good evening, I'm Victor Madden, Sookie's evening guard, sent by the Viking Sheriff, Eric Northman. You may leave."

Both Alcide and Preston nodded to him in the fashion that all Supes do to vampires. Preston spoke first though, "I'm Preston and this is Alcide. He will retire for the evening, however, I will stay on to assist in your guard, as well as our little goblin friend, Mr. Hob," he said as he moved aside to reveal the fearsome goblin.

"What an interesting lot of protectors this young human had. However, it is not necessary for you all to waste your time. I am more than capable of protecting a tiny human," Victor sneered, insulted that this Were would imply he was not adequate.

"No disrespect intended Mr. Madden, but Ms. Stackhouse will have an assortment of guards at her side at all times. Northman's orders," Preston insisted. He would not hand Sookie over to a strange vampire, even if this one owed the Viking a favor. No one could be considered a true friend, when it came to protecting the girl.

Victor hissed, but then resigned himself. He would just have to be a little creative with his plan to secure the telepath for his king. "Very well, I would at least like to introduce myself. Eric insisted that I make her acquaintance, as well as make her feel comfortable with my presence, since we'll be together for the next several nights."

Preston and Mr. Hob moved aside and Victor began knocking at the door. She did not answer right away. "Is she not there? Why is she not answering?" he asked.

"She requested some alone time for the afternoon. She is most likely sleeping. She has had a trying couple of weeks, for a human," Preston explained.

Victor rolled his eyes and sighed unnecessarily while he resumed his knocking on the door. Finally, after a solid minute of knocking they heard her voice, "Who is it?" Victor's cock twitched at the sound of the lovely voice coming from the other side. If the Viking had bonded this girl to himself, she must be lovely. He was known for his prowess and ability to woo the most beautiful of women.

After identifying himself, he asked to for admittance. There was a short pause of only her breathing, on the other side, before the locks were disengaged and the door pulled opened. Inside stood the prettiest woman-child Victor had set his eyes on in some time. She glowed with light, her soft blue eyes flickering a bit, reflecting the light in the hallway. Sookie had obviously just woken up from the look of her slightly tousled hair and the rumbled shirt she was wearing, that was about three times the size of her. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he asked, turning on the charm. Victor couldn't actually remember the last time he apologized to a human, _if ever_.

"Oh, that's alright. I suppose it's time for me to get ready for this evening anyhow. It's really nice to meet you Mr. Madden," Sookie said, smoothing her hair back and blushing a bit, realizing she was standing there in just Eric's shirt. "I realize Eric probably used his considerable talent of persuasion to get you to agree to this, but I appreciate it nonetheless," she said, bowing her head slightly, to show her respect.

Victor was awestruck. It was as if he had been glamoured by this beauty. He stood there with a giddy smile on his face, hanging on every word that came from her luscious lips. No wonder the Viking bonded her to him. She was simply divine. "No trouble, I assure you Miss Stackhouse. However, the Queen will be expecting you in about 30 minutes and you don't want to keep Sophie-Anne waiting. So, why don't you hurry and get ready and we'll just wait right here for you," he said, shaking himself from his stupor and looking from Preston to Mr. Hob.

"Oh! My! I didn't see y'all there. Good evening Preston, Mr. Hob," Sookie said, leaning out of the doorway to flash her brilliant smile at her two other guards. "Are all three of you going to escort me this evening?" she asked, hoping that they would all say yes. Even though Victor was very handsome and seemed nice enough, she still didn't want to put all her trust into a strange vampire.

"Yes, ma'am," Preston answered, "Mr. Northman likes to uh, how do you say? Diversify. Something about layered defense is the best defense, I believe is his saying," he smirked. His emerald green eyes sparkled with mischief and Sookie was a little tongue tied at the beauty of him. _She must be the luckiest girl alive to be surrounded with such gorgeous men._ Preston noticed her reaction to him and only smiled brighter. "Hurry, now! As Mr. Madden said, you don't want to be late for the Queen!" he said, shooing her back into her room and closing the door for her.

"What a striking young woman," Victor stuttered. Preston recognized that deer-in-the-headlights look. Apparently, Sookie Stackhouse had the same affect on all male Supes. At first he thought it might be her fae traits, but more and more he suspected it was something else altogether. "Yes, the Viking certainly made a wise decision in bonding her to him," Preston asserted, subtly reminding the vampire that the girl was off limits.

Soon enough Sookie was before the Queen, with her strange little entourage surrounding her. Sophie-Anne was a bit perturbed that her newest addition, Victor Madden, seemed to have already aligned himself with Sookie and the Viking. She would be keeping an even closer eye on him now.

"Good evening Miss Stackhouse. So nice of you to grace us with your presence," Sophie-Anne mocked. She was still distraught over Hadley's death and seeing Sookie reminded her of that pain. Sookie's being there also reminded her that she had missed the opportunity of having her for her own and instead was forced to go through her Sheriff. Sophie-Anne was not a gracious loser.

Sookie curtsied slightly before settling in an aggressive posture of arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She could tell the Queen was insincere in her welcoming and it pissed her off. After all, she was doing Sophie-Anne a great service by offering her talent for the Queen's use. Preston and Victor flanked on either side of her were amused at Sookie's show of defiance.

"So what is it that you'd like for me to do for you this evening?" Sookie boldly asked.

"Excellent. To the point," Sophie-Anne replied, clapping her hands together. "This evening a contingent of local and state politicians will be visiting me to discuss their financial needs for the upcoming elections. They of course are unaware that I am vampire. Therefore, you will sit next to me, acting as my assistant, while we discuss our business and you will read their thoughts. If you hear anything of interest, I want you to write it down on this notepad," she explained, reaching behind her to retrieve the pen and pad from an assistant. "Andre will be standing behind both of us and if he sees anything that requires my immediate attention, he'll _let me know_. Understand?" she finished.

Sookie was wondering exactly _how_ Andre would be letting her know, but figured it wasn't the right time to ask. "Yes, ma'am. I can do that. My guards will be allowed as well, right?" Sookie asked. She didn't like the idea of being left alone with the sharks.

"You can select the most human looking guard to stand beside you. The others need to wait outside. These meetings are an important step towards the Revelation. I cannot afford any mistakes and I do not want to have to glamour anyone for something as stupid as realizing we are not human. This is non-negotiable. Choose now and we will be on our way," snapped the Queen.

"Glamour, ma'am?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, you know… how we can erase one's memory and replace it with another. Surely you have been or at least seen glamour from your Viking."

Sookie nodded in understanding, not letting on that she couldn't be _glamoured_. Although she was sure, Andre was aware of that. Turning around, she took in the pleading looks of all three of her guards. The goblin was the most obvious non-human, so she immediately decided it wouldn't be him. She looked at Victor next, who was staring back at her like a crazed, stalker fan-girl, similar to those she has seen on the nightly entertainment news shows, chasing their favorite actor or singer down the street, squealing – not to mention the unnatural glow he seemed to radiate. Preston was a fairy, in disguise as a Were. However, out of the two, he looked human for the most part. That settled it. "Preston!" she blurted out. "I select Preston to be my guard inside."

"Very well. Come, we don't want to keep the politicians waiting." The Queen gathered up the full skirts of her dress and spun to move out the doors behind her seat. Andre went after her, as well as her guards. Sookie and her entourage followed behind as they all headed to the end of a short hallway to a set of broad double-doors. Before entering, she turned to speak to Victor and Mr. Hob.

"I hope you are not upset with me that I didn't pick either of you. I expect you'll understand and forgive me?" Sookie asked both of her guards.

"It was a wise choice, Miss," the goblin grunted. Victor just nodded and they took their places outside the room. Sookie was shocked that the goblin actually spoke more than a couple of words to her. She glanced over at Preston who must have been thinking the same thing because he gave a silent laugh. Then he waved his arm out, "After you, Sookie." She nodded to him, took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, squared her shoulders and walked in.

The room was very casual and non-threatening, decorated in neutral creams and browns. There was a long, narrow, mahogany desk with matching credenza set directly behind it. On top of that sat a laptop with dual-monitor setup and scattered about were some handsome leather file holders. The desk itself looked like any other executive's desk with piles of papers, some books and newspapers and a multi-functional phone. The Queen's chair was high-backed and quality leather. There was a smaller chair of lesser appeal and comfort placed beside hers, most likely for Sookie. On the other side of the desk were four medium sized, plush leather armchairs, set slightly apart from each other and slightly skewed, so that each had a view of the person at the desk, but also at each other. The odd thing was, that they looked like they belonged in a home theater room and not in an office, with their built in cup holders, but they certainly looked comfortable. On the wall opposite the desk and credenza, was a 55" Plasma TV screen, mounted to the wall and tuned to one of the international news channels, with the stock market ticker running constantly along the bottom. Preston stood back by the door, while Sookie made her way to the empty chair by the Queen. Andre handed her the special notepad the Queen insisted she use, which looked no different from any other legal pad. Avoiding having to look at either Sophie-Anne or Andre, Sookie decided to test her pen, to make sure it would write. It would be embarrassing to have to stop someone in mid- I'm – going – to - rip – off - Sophie-Anne thought, to ask for a new pen.

While she was doodling, the first set of visitors came in, one man and two women. The man was a Congressman representing the District of New Orleans. The women were introduced as his assistant and PR person. Sookie noted that he was sleeping with both, without the others knowledge and his wife was clueless. Aside from being quite greedy and selfish in his intentions, she had nothing out of the ordinary to report and so they went on with their meeting, until some agreement was made and they left.

The evening passed much the same way with four more groups of politicians, in one capacity or another, meeting with Sophie-Anne. Sookie didn't find much to report other than one of them wanting to accept a donation but not intending to follow through with his promises. Another thought there was something off with the Queen and all of her guards, but brushed it off as just another wealthy eccentric.

During the final meeting, with one of the biggest construction developers in the city, there was a disturbance. Sookie noticed both Andre and Sophie-Anne stiffen slightly during their talk and glanced over to Preston, who was visibly on alert. Sookie heard a buzzing coming from Andre and jumped a little. The businessman never even flinched and continued droning on. When Andre finished his brief call, which consisted of no more than a couple of grunts, he interrupted the man and said they needed to cut their meeting short. The man was perturbed at being dismissed so abruptly, but conceded nonetheless and left.

"Sookie, you will have your guards escort you back to your room at once and you will remain there until daylight. You will have access to leave by late morning and I'd like for you to traverse the city and complete a general reading of the humans around town. You will report to me, once I call upon you tomorrow evening. Now go," Sophie-Anne commanded.

Sookie responded, "Yes, ma'am. Good night." She didn't waste any time scooting towards Preston and the door to the office, feeling the charged energy in the air. They had just made it out the door, with Victor and Mr. Hob flanking her, when she saw them-- Five very powerful looking vampires, with their own contingent of extremely dangerous looking guards. They studied her intently for a moment, some flaring their nostrils, probably taking in her scent, before she was ushered away quickly.

No one spoke until they got back to her room. Then they all came in with her, securing her door. Victor stood with his back against the door, while Mr. Hob checked all the windows and Preston swept for bugs and any other surveillance equipment.

"Who were they?" Sookie asked, completely spooked by what happened.

Victor answered, "Some of the Council members."

"Council? Like some super-secret governance or something?" Sookie asked, remembering Eric speaking about a Council when they were discussing his past with Niall.

"Yes. The Council by which all vampires answer to…even Queens and Kings. They are the ones pushing the Revelation," Victor replied, looking concerned.

"Do you think they know who she is?" Mr. Hob asked, pointing to Sookie.

"I'm not sure. But, I know they caught her scent. Their visit here couldn't be coincidental. Perhaps they just wanted to check in with the Queen prior to our coming out. It has been a massive effort to coordinate everything. I'm sure they want to make sure everyone is compliant and on board," Victor reassured, sensing Sookie's building panic. For some reason, he suddenly felt over-protective of her, not just because he was to secure her for his King, but because he genuinely cared about her well-being. _Strange_.

"I recognized one of them," blurted Preston, unable to control his nervousness any longer.

"How so, _Were_? Where would _you_ have come across a Council member," Victor sneered.

"That is unimportant. What _is_ important," he paused, as if emphasizing the importance of his next statement, "is _who_ I've seen that vampire with."

"Well…Out with it Preston! Stop with the dramatics!" Sookie ordered, hugging herself so she would stop shaking.

Preston glanced around the room, wondering if he could trust everyone to hear what he had to say. The Viking wouldn't have assembled them all, if he didn't trust them, right? "Prince Niall," he whispered, locking eyes with each of them briefly.

Sookie felt a growing apprehension that her life was suddenly going to get even more complicated than what it already was.

"About five years ago I was escorting the Prince to Japan, for the internal announcement of the synthetic blood discovery. On our way back, we stopped in San Francisco, where Niall met with several different people, not only from the Supe community, but important world leaders as well. I specifically remember seeing that vampire, the one with the really long, ivory colored hair, carrying the cane. He was there with the Prince and they met for quite some time before we returned to the Realm," Preston recalled.

"Wait! You are a _Were_. What were you doing with the Prince and why should we believe you?" Victor accused.

Suddenly, the air around Preston shimmered, and a bright glow filled the room. It was as if Preston had turned into an angel. He was glowing so brightly and he was so beautiful. Truly, he looked like something out of the stained glass imagines of the great cathedrals. He was just missing his wings. Victor's fangs immediately came down with an audible snap, while Preston boomed, "Because I am more than I appear _vampire_!"

Sookie shook herself from her self-absorbed fears and stepped between the two supernaturals. "Now boys, no need to get yourselves all upset. We are on the same team….right?" she asked, arms extended out on either side, like a referee. She glanced from Victor to Preston and back. She felt her own energy swirling inside her, except this time, she was forcing herself to feel calm and trying to spread that throughout the room.

Instantly, Victor retracted his fangs and Preston returned to his Were disguise. "What are you, Miss Stackhouse?" Victor asked with his eyes still dilated from catching a whiff of Preston in his fairy form.

"As Preston said, it's unimportant right now. We need to figure out why a Council member would be meeting with Niall and especially right after learning of such a discovery. It is more than coincidental that there is a correlation between that discovery and the vampires coming out," Sookie responded, slowly lowering her arms and reigning in her power. She still didn't understand or really know how she did that, but it certainly came in handy.

All three of her guards nodded in agreement, that indeed there was more than a coincidence to Niall's meeting with a Council member. Sookie moved to the bedside table, rummaging around for some paper and a pen. "Let's make a timeline of what we know. Maybe there is someone here in New Orleans I can talk to tomorrow or at least in the next couple of days, that could shed some light on this pharmaceutical company.

"Preston: We'll start with you. It was five years ago that the internal announcement was made regarding the discovery of synthetic blood, correct? Then directly afterwards, Niall was seen meeting with several important figures, including an elite Council member."

"That's right, Sookie," Preston said, pacing now.

"Victor: Do you know when the Council started talking about the vamps coming out? I mean they couldn't have just sprung that on all of you, right?" Sookie asked.

"Oh no, they called several meetings -- usually around the time of the annual summits and met with the Kings and Queens of the various territories to discuss the possibility. What sealed our fate was when our respected oracle, the Ancient Pythoness, revealed that she saw it happening with favorable results. That was when the real planning kicked into high gear," Victor replied.

"Who is this Ancient Python? Some sort of snake lady?" Sookie couldn't help but giggle.

Preston and Mr. Hob laughed at that too. Victor actually cracked a smile before responding, "You really don't know anything about us, do you? Well, the Ancient _Pythoness_," Victor emphasized her correct name, "is the original oracle that Alexander consulted," he said, his voice quite neutral. "She was considered so revered that even in her old age, she was converted by the very primitive vampires of her time. And now she has outlasted all of them." (A/N: taken from ATD, p.226).

"Wow! That's crazy! But wait, I thought the oracle was Amun, Alexander's father. If the Pythoness is an old gal, than how does that work?" Sookie asked, remembering some mythology text she had read not that long ago. Greek and Roman mythology, well really, any mythology always fascinated her, even from an early age.

Preston answered this, "If I may, Victor? The temple that Alexander found in the middle of the Egyptian desert was erected in celebration of the god Amun, but the oracle or Sybil, as they were called, were always women. It was told that they had a direct connection to the Gods and spoke _for_ them, to those that were worthy. That would suggest that this Pythoness has some direct connection to Amun or who was earlier seen as Zeus, by the Greeks. That would be amazing!"

"No kidding! But, would Niall have anything to do with her, you think? Could he have influenced her in anyway? Has she ever had 'visions' that weren't really visions, but maybe more of encouragement to a political end?" Sookie asked.

Victor gasped. "That would be near blasphemous, to suggest such a thing."

"Well, if she is old as y'all suggest she is – maybe she's tired of living and is looking for a way out. Taking as many of you with her if she can," Sookie replied saucily. "I'm mean who wants to live forever? _And_ be used for your gift over and over, only to be brought out like the good china and then returned to the cupboard, locked away, once you've served your purpose. That can't be any kind of life," she thought aloud, really identifying with the poor old gal. Sookie might very well end up that way, too, if Sophie-Anne had her way.

All three of her guards laughed at her analogy but then got serious. "That is an interesting perspective, Sookie. And probably one you can identify with too," Preston replied. She just nodded in agreement. "So you are suggesting that the A.P. and Niall are in on some plot to bring all vampires down? Why would Niall want that? He helped forge the current truce with them in the last vampire/fairy war."

"Well, I have some information on that, but I'm not willing to share it just yet. But I have a hunch it's not so much that he wants all vampires to perish, but once they are in the open, there is no going back AND they will be much easier to find, don't you think Victor?" Sookie asked.

Victor thought on it for a few minutes. "Certainly most of us will come out of hiding and try to take advantage of the situation, if the humans readily accept us. In addition, that would make us more visible to everyone. But why would Niall care to find us all?"

"I'm not completely sure, so I'd rather not say. The idea is you could be tracked, catalogued, like telemarketers do with online shoppers, right? I mean I'm always hearing complaints from someone regarding the amount of junk mail they receive via phone, mail and email. They say it has to do with marketing companies collecting data on one's shopping habits. Vampires could be at risk of this too and that kind of information could be harmful, if in the wrong hands, don't you think?" Sookie said, again thinking aloud.

"Yes," all three agreed simultaneously.

"Well, then, we have our homework cut out for us boys! Tomorrow, during the day, I'll fill in Alcide and Claudine about our discoveries. I'll have Alcide do some online research regarding this pharmaceutical company and see if there are any local contacts here in New Orleans. I think the Council's visit tonight suggests there is something to do with the Revelation and its right here under our noses. What we can't accomplish during the day, I might send one of you out in the evening to investigate. But, not without causing too much suspicion.

"I can't help but think there is definitely some correlation between all of this and Niall.

"Thank you all for helping me tonight. I trust whatever we've discussed in this room, stays here, right?" she asked, focusing her intense gaze on each of them for a minute. What she didn't know is that she had in effect, glamoured each of them into keeping this information to themselves. They now wouldn't be able to repeat any of it if they tried.

Just as they were all leaving her room, Preston's phone rang. "Yes? Certainly," he said, handing the phone over to Sookie. "It's Eric."

"Oh!" Sookie exclaimed, her face lighting up and turning a light shade of pink from embarrassment. All three of her guards were instantly jealous of the effect the Norseman had on her. "Do you mind leaving me for a few minutes, so I can have some privacy? I'll come hand you your phone back when I'm done, I promise," Sookie said, as she took the phone from Preston's out stretched hand.

"Of course," Victor answered for all three, although he didn't sound too excited about it. She waited for them all to leave and walk down the hall a bit, before she walked into her en suite bathroom and shut the door, for the added sound buffer.

"Hello?" she said in her best sex kitten voice.

"Lover," Eric purred. "How was your first evening with the Queen? I'm assuming you met Victor and everything went well?"

"Oh yes, everything was fine. Boring, but fine. Well, that is until a contingent of the _Council_ showed," Sookie paused for dramatic effect.

"What?" Eric shouted. "Tell me everything. Leave nothing out." And so she did, finishing with her plan to do some investigating with her guards in the daytime.

"Just be careful, Lover. This is not worth getting yourself hurt over," Eric warned.

"I know, but my insides are jumping at all these events Eric. None of it is coincidental and I have a feeling I'm in the mix of it somehow," Sookie pleaded.

Eric agreed to help her in any way he could, sensing that she was right. However, he also sensed that he too, was in the 'mix of it', using her words. They bid each other good night and she whispered, "I miss you," as she hung up the phone. She didn't think he had heard her, but he did and he felt the same way, much to his dismay.

The following two days and nights were filled with her and her guards trying to track down any leads or information regarding the connection between Niall, synthetic blood and the Revelation. They had a few, including a couple of strange visits to archery ranges and bizarre, magic warded, supernatural clubs.

They uncovered the fact that there were about 500 investors in the pharmaceutical company responsible for the synthetic blood -- most seemed to be pseudo-aliases for the big time elite or maybe they were all for one person, but regardless, the majority were untraceable. The company did only limited research on human products, but through a Supe source, they found out that the majority of their work was based on products for the supernatural community. That might explain the anonymity of the investors. One thing Victor found out, quite by accident (so he said), was that Bill was working on a database – a database that was like a giant family tree for vampires. He was trying to catalogue all vampires throughout the world and any related detail regarding child/maker relations. He was hopeful that if the reveal went well, that he would be able to start traveling around the world and really make a dent in his data collection. Then eventually, he would market it back to the vampire community – sort of like Facebook for Vampires (Sookie liked Fangbook as a name for it).

That discovery alone, gave everyone in Sookie's camp, the chills…especially after her analogy regarding telemarketers. What no one had figured out yet, is that Niall was now the primary funder of this project and was banking on using the spoils of Bill's findings for his ultimate plan.

Everyone was alert and tension was extremely high. Maybe it was a combination of the impending Revelation, but most of it had to do with the reason driving the occasion.

Sookie continued to read humans thoughts for the Queen on a scheduled basis and all seemed to be in order. So far, no one had attempted to take Sookie or harm her in any way.

Two nights before the reveal, Sophie-Anne took Sookie and her guards to a secluded warehouse where she ordered an end to Waldo's punishment for Hadley's death, by encouraging Sookie to stake him. Sookie just couldn't bring herself to do it, no matter how much she hated him for his actions. After a brief struggle, where Waldo managed to get free and lunge towards Sookie, Victor stepped in and staked him for her. She was grateful, even though she was sad that it had come to such an end.

After returning from Waldo's final sentence, Victor revealed that he had learned the identity of one of the private investors through his former partners in Las Vegas. He suggested Sookie take Alcide with her in the morning to check out his offices in a suburb of New Orleans. Claudine and Preston planned on using their fairy powers to 'pop' to Japan and check out some of the actual scientists responsible for the creation of synthetic blood. They assured everyone that they could be back at a moment's notice if they are needed.

After breakfast the next morning, Sookie and Alcide made their way to the address Victor has given them. "Does it seem odd to you Alcide, that this is more of an empty strip mall than an office building, like Victor said?" Sookie asked as they parked and made their way to the correct suite number. Both of their 'hackles' were up with the odd sense of danger lurking nearby. But, they allowed their curiosity to get the better of them and proceeded into the marked entrance.

As soon as they opened the door, a bell dinged, just like any other small business. There was a reception area that was currently empty, but they could hear the sounds of murmurs down the hall, so they knew someone or a couple of someone's were there.

"Hello?" Sookie called out.

"Oh! Sorry! I'll be right with you," called out a pleasant female voice.

A woman in her thirties came out of a door from the short hallway and turned to face them. She looked pleasant, even sweet, with long reddish-blonde hair and hazel colored eyes. Everything about her seemed to match, from her ruby red lips, to her polished nails to her pedicured toes. She had a hour glass figured that was accentuated by the cashmere-like sweater dress she was wearing, synched at waist with a wide brown suede belt and matching shoes.

"Can I help you?" she asked, looking hopeful.

Alcide answered, "Yes. We would like to speak to Mr. Donaldson, if he's in."

"May I ask what this is about? You aren't police officers or anything are you? Mr. Donaldson is quite busy with his other cases right now," she replied, every bit as nice as she had been initially.

"Oh, no," Sookie answered. "We were, um, looking to hire Mr. Donaldson ourselves. He was recommended by a friend of ours, um, a Mr. Philip Alterman," she replied, using the name Victor had given them in case this very thing happened. What neither Alcide nor Sookie knew was that Philip Alterman was an alias for the King of Nevada, Felipe de Castro – de Castro meaning literally to castrate or alter a man's sex.

"Oh! Mr. Alterman is one of Mr. Donaldson's best clients. Please come follow me and I'll get you set up in one of our rooms," smiled the buxom blonde before turning on her heel and heading back down the same hallway she had emerged from. Except that she opened a different door and disappeared for a minute, before popping her head back around to make sure they were following.

As soon as they reached the doorway, both Sookie's and Alcide's internal danger alarms went off full blast, but it was too late. Someone shoved them from behind, causing them to both lose their balance and tumble down a steep, dark, concrete stairwell. Sookie landed first in a huff, while Alcide followed, landing on top of her and effectively knocking the wind out of her. Before they had a chance to catch their breath and assess their whereabouts, they were yanked to their feet. Alcide had a bag placed over his head and hands tied behind his back, in the blink of an eye. Sookie felt a stabbing pain on the left side of her neck, while her own hands were wrenched behind her. Then everything went black.

When she came to, she was in what looked like a supply closet, except this room had a small metal cot, which she was laying on. She sat up and quickly felt as though she might pass out again. She was severely disoriented and her whole body felt numb and tingly, like when your foot falls asleep. The side of her neck burned too. She reached up automatically to rub the spot and noticed that her hands were bound together with twine or something similar. Then she heard that awful voice. "Sleeping beauty awakes!" he laughed darkly.

She looked to where the sound came from and noticed the shape of a man hidden in the shadows. What he probably wasn't aware of, was that she had ingested so much of Eric's blood in the past weeks that her vision was almost that of a vampire. She saw what he looked like and committed it to memory, hoping that if she escaped here, she would be able to identify him and make him pay for holding her hostage.

But, she also saw into his mind and what she looked like to him. Her image was frightening, with a bashed in cheek and a knee so swollen, it surely was broken. Then she caught the tenor of the rest of his thoughts, "_Look at them breasts. They look mighty tastey. I know I'm supposed to just pack her up and get her on the plane, but I don't see why I can't have a little fun first._" He moved out from the shadows, unbuckling his pants, to free his pitiful excuse for manhood.

Sookie struggled to gain the upper hand by harnessing her special powers, but she must have been drugged or something because she was effectively rendered useless. She tried to move her arms up to stop his forward advance but, they just flopped around her sides. She focused all her mind power she could muster and screamed.

Down the hall, Alcide had been thrown into a small holding cell with another person. Since he couldn't see with the sack over his head, all he could do was smell and it smelled like a tiger…possibly another Were.

"Hello? Who's there?" he called. The only answer that came was a low menacing growl. _Definitely some kind of shifter_, he thought. Then it hit him, he could shift too. Being a full blooded Were, he didn't need a full moon. He focused all his strength and began to shift, but before he could full change, he heard that same sound of another shifting. The Weretiger must be shifting back.

"You're a Were too?" came the deep, gravelly voice.

"Yes! You have to help me. My charge is out there having god knows done to her! Nothing can happen to her or forces even I can't comprehend will be set into motion and then it's all over for the Supe world, I guarantee," Alcide warned.

Suddenly, his head was uncovered and a giant of a man and a naked one at that, stood before him. "I'm Quinn, the Weretiger. I was brought here to escort a human telepath back to Las Vegas for the vampire King. Is that your charge?" he asked.

"Yes! Wait…Las Vegas? As in Victor Madden?" Alcide was putting it together.

"I don't know any Victor Madden. But, I'm indebted to the vamps of Nevada and do whatever special projects they asked. I was brought here last night, told to shift into my tiger form and wait for further instructions," Quinn explained.

The next thing that happened shook them both to their core and they were strong men. They 'felt' Sookie's terror and cry for help, as well as heard it. "He's going to rape me!" her mind voice screamed. Alcide grabbed his head. The impact of her voice was so overpowering, he thought his ears might explode. "We have to do something!" he grunted, grinding his teeth, to fight the noise back.

Quinn immediately shifted back to tiger form and slammed his body against the holding cell door. It busted into splinters on impact and he charged off in the direction he thought he heard her screams. Alcide ran after him, still in half-wolf, half-human form. He managed to break his bindings in the process and followed Quinn's tiger.

The man, who held Sookie, didn't even know what was coming. One minute he was planning on enjoying himself with his hot little blonde hostage. The next there was an honest to god, Bengal Tiger busting down the door and leaping on him, tearing him limb from limb. Sookie screamed at the vision playing out before her. Alcide ran, scooped her up and started up the stairs they had been thrown down, with Quinn loping behind them.

Alcide moved to the side and allowed Quinn to clear the door and hopefully anyone in their way as they ran towards the exit. Luckily, Alcide's car, which he had borrowed from the Queen's headquarters, was still there and unlocked. He laid Sookie down in the backseat and quickly dug through his pockets for the keys. By the time he got it started and thrown it into reverse, Quinn had shifted back and jumped in the passenger side. Then they were off.

It was about an hour after dark, so all the vamps would be awake. He wasn't sure if he should go back to the Queen's and he wasn't sure how much the fairy's would be to help. He was about to pull his cell out to call Eric, when something up in front of them dropped down into the road from the sky. Alcide skidded to a halt, barely missing crashing into what was in front of them. He had closed his eyes, bracing for impact, while Quinn had reached around to buffer any impact to Sookie's broken form.

Before they could react, the back door was ripped from its hinges and Sookie's body snagged from the back.

"Eric!" she sighed, only just coherent enough to recognize his scent and feel.

The next heartbeat, Victor Madden was beside him, starring into the car containing Alcide and Quinn. Alcide didn't trust Victor at this point and didn't know what to do.

"Go back and make sure the place burns and whoever is responsible pays. I'm taking her to a safehouse. I'll contact you in a few minutes," Eric barked and bolted up into the sky, leaving Victor behind with Alcide and Quinn.

"Victor," Alcide sneered. "You better hope you are not responsible for this or Eric will have your head!"

"What happened? Did Donaldson do this to her? Explain! Now!" Victor snapped, fangs down.

"She was to be transported tonight to Las Vegas," Quinn replied. "I take it you're the Nevada vamp embedded with the Queen's court for Felipe?"

"Who are you and how do you know that?" Victor was primed and deadly now.

"I was sent to help 'escort' the human telepath back. I was told it was a simple task because Castro had contacts within the court and I was more or less just muscle to ensure nothing happened to her," Quinn explained.

"Fucking Felipe!" Victor roared, his head tilted back towards the sky. "Come, let's make someone pay for this!" He was so furious that Felipe would go around him and try to take Sookie without letting him in on the plan. Victor would go back to 'Donaldson's' place and obliterate anything that was left living there. He didn't realize how angry he appeared, consumed with the bloodlust for retribution of Sookie's attack. He was fond of the girl, really enamored and had planned to try and warn Eric and her of Felipe's standing order to acquire her for his own.

Alcide and Quinn looked at each other in shock. "Apparently, Victor wasn't apprised of the plan after all," Alcide remarked. He quickly turned the car around and headed back to the strip mall to see what kind of damage they could mete out in response to their attack.

"I'm not sure you should stick around, Quinn. If you are working for Nevada, you can't be trusted, even though you helped us escape," Alcide said, while driving like a bat out of hell back to the scene of the crime.

"My mother was gang raped, right in front of me. That's why I'm indebted to the vamps. I slaughtered every single one of those motherfuckers, but needed help covering it up. I couldn't and wouldn't stand by to let something like that happen again, no matter who the woman was. But, if she is as important as you say she is, I have no business getting in between you and them. I felt how _special_ she was back there. She doesn't deserve the life Felipe would force upon her. If there is anything I can offer to assist you guys, I'm at your service. Nevada be damned!" Quinn growled.

"Welcome aboard than brother. Let's hope Eric feels the same way," Alcide replied.

"Eric Northman? Is that who that was?" Quinn asked.

"The one and only. She is his bonded and he will be drooling for the blood of anyone responsible for harming a hair on her head," Alcide predicted.

"No doubt. He is one badass motherfucker. I've seen him in action myself. Torn a couple of vamps in half with his bare hands. That was some crazy shit," Quinn replied, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Eric landed in front of a duplex style house, on the south side of the French Quarter, just outside the Garden District.

"Amelia," Eric greeted a short, tanned young woman. "Can you let me in?" he asked respectfully.

"Oh my! Mr. Northman, is she alright? You…you didn't do that to her, did you? Not that it's any of my business, mind you," Amelia rambled, nervous to be around the giant vampire.

"Just get us inside Amelia," Eric said curtly. He didn't want to piss her off, because she was an accomplished witch and they had a special deal with her apartment complex, but he didn't appreciate her wasting time, just to satisfy her own curiosity.

"Absolutely! Sorry!" she said nervously. Her hands shook as she showed them to a basement apartment, that was light tight, but still had all the amenities for a human. She opened the door and muttered something in Latin to release the statis spell she had placed on the quarters.

"Get me some water and something quick to eat if you don't mind," Eric ordered gently.

"Some…something to eat?" Amelia squeaked.

"For the girl, Amelia!" Eric snapped. He was at the end of his rope for patience. "I need to heal her, so unless you want this to become a threesome, I suggest you run along and get what I asked for, while I tend to her wounds."

"Yes, of course. Right away!" she said, turning and rushing out the door, repeating to herself what it was he needed.

"Eric?" Sookie whispered. She was so out of it still from whatever drug it was they injected her with.

"Shhh. Sookie. Don't speak just yet. I'm going to give you some of my blood. It will heal your wounds and hopefully counteract any of the drug they've given you." The telltale crunch was heard, before his proffered wrist appeared before her mouth. "Drink."

She focused all her strength to grab onto his wrist and drink. Almost immediately, her brain fog began to clear, her knee felt ten times better and her cheek began to tingle, as the bone began to knit itself back together.

When she had had enough, he pulled back his wrist and closed the wounds. He looked her over to ensure she was healing properly. "I felt you the minute you were drugged. The bond was nearly closed off. I thought you were….dead or at a minimum dying. I waited as long as I could before flying here. By then, you must have woken up from your stupor, because I started to feel you again, but knew you were in trouble, because you felt all wrong. Then I _heard_ you," Eric paused, looking into her eyes. "Did he…was he successful in his attempts?" he couldn't bring himself to say the words and he didn't want to think it for fear the beast in him would rise up. The emotion would scare Sookie even more than she probably already was.

"Wait. How could you hear me? You mean you were close enough to hear me scream?" she asked.

"No. I heard you in my mind. It was like you were broadcasting it on a radio. You said, 'He's going to rape me'. I heard it as if you were standing next to me shouting it," Eric responded, still searching her eyes for the truth of which he didn't want to hear.

She burst into tears and threw herself at Eric. "Oh my god! No! Thank goodness he didn't get a chance. I'm not sure what happened. I couldn't even get my arms to work, let alone any of my other…you know…powers. The only thing I could do was scream. I _thought_ those words, but I didn't _say_ them... How could you have 'heard' that?" she sobbed. Eric nearly sighed with relief. He too thanked the gods she hadn't been raped.

"What happened after that?" Eric soothed, rubbing his left hand up and down her back, while holding her tightly with his other.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said.

"Try me."

"Well, the guy was standing there with his thingy in his hand and then the door busted open and a tiger came flying into the room and started tearing him to shreds. It was awful! Then Alcide was there, although it wasn't really Alcide, it was more like a half-wolf, half-Alcide and he picked me up and carried me out. Then I must have passed out because I don't remember anything until I felt you," she explained.

"The Weretiger?" Eric asked, more to himself.

"Were what?" Sookie asked back.

"Weretiger. They are extremely rare. The only one I know of in the States is in Las Vegas…FUCK! VICTOR!!" Eric jumped up, whipped out his phone and had Victor's number dialed in a flash.

Victor answered before the first ring had even finished.

"Explain. NOW!" roared Eric.

"Is she OK?" Victor replied just as agitated.

"Yes. Now explain or I'll have a stake in you before you can hang up this phone," Eric threatened.

Victor went on to explain what Quinn had told him. He didn't exactly tell Eric _everything_ about his involvement with Felipe, but he was convinced he would no longer be helping secure 'the telepath' for him anyway, so it was plausible deniability.

"We'll speak more of this later. Tell the Tiger I am in his debt," and he hung up the phone, focusing his attention back on Sookie.

He knelt down beside her and took her cheeks into his hands, kissing her gently at first and then intensifying it slowly, until she needed to break away for a breath. Then he pressed his forehead to hers, "I could have lost you," he whispered, not really meaning to say so aloud.

"I'm so glad you're here," Sookie cried. She pulled the bottom edge of his shirt up, signaling she wanted it off. Eric complied, assisting in the immediate removal of all his clothes and hers.

"Are you sure?" Eric asked, poised at her entrance, waiting for permission.

"Yes!" she cried, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. There was something about nearly dying, nearly being kidnapped or raped that made her want to reaffirm all the good in her life and Eric was definitely it.

Just then, Amelia popped back in to deliver the food and water Eric had asked for. "Oh! Christ! Sorry!" she squealed, getting an eyeful of a pumping Viking ass and a girl with really great breasts underneath. She quickly set down everything and left, but not before stealing another peek at that world-class bottom.

"Oh, Eric," Sookie moaned, losing herself in the feeling of him filling her completely. Neither of them even heard Amelia return, they were so focused on each other.

Eric was reverent with his touch. He swore to himself that something like this would never happen again, but he wasn't sure he could actually fulfill that. Tomorrow night was the Revelation and the Queen had asked for two more days with her. If Nevada was after Sookie as well and Sophie-Anne caught word of that – there would be certain hell to pay.

When they both had had their releases, Sookie asked Eric, "What about the Queen? I should be getting back, don't you think?"

Eric kissed the top of her head and pulled her tightly into his side, "Do not worry about the Queen. Tonight is ours. I will leave you just before dawn and then Claudine and Preston will be here to bring you back, as if nothing ever happened."

"Where does she think I am tonight?"

"In your room, ill from a migraine. Something telepath's are prone to with all the voices they hear in their heads. Your guards will let no one through to question our story. All is well and will be well, Dear One. For now, let us enjoy the time we have together," he said, flipping her on her back and giving her a toe-curling kiss.

About an hour before dawn, Sookie was woken by Eric kissing her face lightly. He wanted to say goodbye. "Tonight is the big night, Lover. Please be careful. Don't run out investigating anything and just stay close to all of your guards. They will all be present in some capacity tonight, including some others you don't know that are there. Just do your part and before you know it, you'll be safely back with me," Eric grinned.

"The Queen expects you to stay two more days, if all goes well tonight and I have agreed. But, only if, everything is well received. If not, you will return immediately to my side. Understand?" he asked.

Sookie nodded, getting teary-eyed again. She didn't want him to go. He could feel it through the bond as well and her pull made him struggle to leave. He gave her one last lingering kiss, "A little incentive to get back to me," he said with a smirk and then he was gone.

Once again, Sookie found herself crying until exhaustion took her. About six hours later, she woke up in her bed at the Queen's estate. _How the heck did they do that_, she thought. She was dressed in Eric's shirt from the night before and there was a bottle of water and a sandwich on her nightstand. She greedily sucked down all the water before getting up and surveying the damage to her body.

Amazingly, not a scratch remained on her. Her cheek was a little bit puffy and swollen, but nothing a good makeup application wouldn't cover. She decided to take a shower and put on some comfortable clothes, before seeing to her guards about yesterday and about some breakfast. She was in the mood for beignets and coffee. Lots of coffee.

At a little café, down a few blocks from the vamp's headquarters, Sookie sat with all of her guards, minus Victor, who was dead to the world right now. Even Quinn the Weretiger was there. "Thank you all for your part in rescuing me yesterday. Especially you and Alcide," she said, grabbing Quinn's hand and squeezing a little. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for coming at the right time," she said, getting a little teary-eyed.

"Now, don't go doing that. You were amazing yourself yesterday and someday, I hope to hear all about the great things you can do, but for right now, we need to strategize about tonight," Quinn replied, pulling her into him for a sideways hug.

Until about two hours before sundown, they all sat around the café, sipping their various drinks, snacking on food and planning about what and would, exactly go down that night.

As they made their way back and said their temporary goodbyes to Claudine, they all noticed the collection of media vans from nearly every outlet, setting up outside headquarters. Sookie walked a little closer to see if she could catch any of their thoughts, without looking suspicious.

"They don't know what is going to happen tonight. They were just given a 'hot tip' that something big was going to happen around the world tonight and Sophie-Anne was going to be a part of it. Apparently, she has some representatives that will be appearing at the local news stations as well. I guess this is really going to happen!" Sookie informed everyone.

Three hours later, with her hair perfectly coiffed, her extremities cured (mani and pedi) and her makeup flawless, Sookie joined her equally dashing guards in the main ballroom. About 8:30 pm, Central Standard Time, all eyes turned to the five large LCD screens mounted along the walls. Those who didn't have access to television, would hear it on the radio. Those who didn't listen to free radio, would hear it on satellite. Those online, would be seeing it stream across every known outlet available across the great wide web of the Internet.

"Hello, my name is Ursula. Do not be frightened. Today is a momentous day that we will all remember for centuries to come. With the advent of synthetic blood, my people have decided now is our time, a time where we can come forward from the darkness and share with you the light we have in us all. We are vampire and we are very real," the woman named Ursula spoke, reading from the prepared cue cards. As she finished her last sentence, her fangs snapped down, revealing her identity for all.

Around them, gasps of surprised and squeals from more sensitive humans filled the ballroom and surely each room around the world. Sookie immediately was bombarded with the sounds of the human's internal voices and it nearly knocked her on the ground. Luckily, Victor and Preston were on either side and held her up by her elbows. Most people were just in shock that after all these years, fairytales and Hollywood had it right, monsters did exist and they _were_ the cause of what goes bump in the night.

There were no overtly violent thoughts of retaliation, as Sophie-Anne and her selected group of vampires revealed themselves. But, there were certainly a lot of religious thoughts of 'that's not right' or 'Satan's spawns' or 'God doesn't like fangs' and similar ideas.

Ursula went on to explain that a virus, spread through other infected individuals blood, caused their condition. The result was that its victims became light sensitive, actually 'allergic' to sunlight and craved blood as their only source of nutrition. With the discovery of synthetic blood, they could and would wholly live on that alone and no longer be the source of unjust fears and scorn. In the following weeks, shipments of bottled synthetic would be shipping out to stores around the world, making it readily available for its newest consumers. Vampires were people that you already knew and socialized with; they were your business partners, your late-night drive-thru window workers, your bartenders, waiters, and any other function you could possibly imagine. Now, they would be able to live out in public with their true nature exposed and they were delighted as much as they hoped everyone else would be.

Sookie didn't buy this excuse and neither did many of the folks around her. But, bless their hearts, many were willing to over look it, if vampires truly were just like everyone else. Some of the women in the room were actually turned on by the thought of a handsome vampire coming to the bedroom late at night, offering to suck their blood. _Gah!_ _It takes all kinds_, she thought.

The rest of the night was strenuous, but a blur. Sophie-Anne had opened up one of her 'viewing' rooms and asked some of the same people she had met with the other night to come and revisit things, now that she and all her underlings were exposed. Sookie sat vigilantly and listened to every one of them, as they filed in and offered words of support, congratulations and/or encouragement. It wasn't until about four am that Sookie was allowed to return to her room. But, she was ordered to go out again into the city tomorrow and garner the reaction of various sections of the city to see what the overall mood of its people was.

She asked Preston if she could borrow his phone to call Eric, but he didn't answer when she called. She left him a message and wished him well and hoped that everything was all right up in Shreveport. She could feel the hum of his existence in the back of her mind, so she knew he was alive or undead, at least.

She drifted off to sleep wondering what kind of chaos tomorrow would bring.

* * *

**A/N: So…What did you think? Press the green button and give me some honest to goodness feedback. I could use it after the week I've had! Thanks for reading. xox**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day and Happy opening day of the Olympic Games. Thanks for all the amazing feedback. Can't tell you how much it's appreciate. xox**

* * *

**_Las Vegas - Evening of Revelation_**

"Bring me the telepath!" Felipe barked, once he woke for the evening.

"Umm, she is not here, your highness," answered Sandy, Felipe's second in command.

"WHAT?" Felipe roared. "EXPLAIN! NOW!"

"Well, the pilot reported that he is still in New Orleans, at the private airstrip, still awaiting contact from Mr. Donaldson, sir," Sandy replied, looking concerned for her life.

"Any news from the Tiger?" Felipe asked, absorbing the information Sandy had provided.

"None, sir. We have made several attempts to contact him, as well as Gabe Sanders, the human who was supposed to be working with Donaldson and no one has responded. The phone at their office, as well as all personal cells, just roll to voicemail," Sandy said, trying to remain calm for the sake of her existence.

"Have you been in touch with Victor?" Felipe winced, knowing that Victor would be pissed once he was made aware of Felipe's plans.

"No, sir. You ordered that Victor be left out of the loop for now, so I have not made any contact with him," Sandy replied.

"He was the one to feed information to the telepath regarding Donaldson, was he not? Call him and have him go check on the location. Give him some sort of lie. I don't care what. Just get him to go find out what went wrong. And see if you can find out any information regarding the telepath. I need to get ready for this evenings events. Is there anything else I need to be made aware of?" Felipe ordered.

Just as he finished his rant, his phone started ringing. "WHAT!" he yelled.

"Is that any way to speak to a Queen, Felipe?" Sophie-Anne sneered. "I believe you owe me an explanation regarding my telepath."

"Sophie-Anne. What a _pleasant_ surprise. I'm not sure what you are talking about. Could you elaborate?" Felipe panicked, wondering if something had happened to the girl.

"_Please_, Felipe. Don't play dumb. It's not _becoming_ of a king. You tried to steal my telepath and you _failed_ – which I'm _more_ than happy about. However, what makes me extremely irate is the fact that you thought it was acceptable to attempt such a thing. You are lucky she wasn't too damaged in the process and that her Viking takes such great care of her or you would have the both of us to deal with. Not mention _others_. I'm submitting a complaint to the Council for your actions. Expect to hear from a representative shortly. This will not go unpunished," Sophie threatened and then hung up.

Felipe was staring at the receiver as the dial tone cut in. Sandy stood there nervously awaiting direction from her king, hearing the entire conversation.

"Don't bother contacting Victor. Obviously whatever happened, we have been found out. FUCK!" Felipe shouted, slamming the phone down onto the receiver, crushing it to nothing but dust in the process.

"Sir, you really should be getting ready for tonight's Reveal. The Council would be even more upset if you were to mess with their program for the evening. If you'd like, I can try and make inquiries as to the WereTiger's whereabouts and order the pilot to return this evening," Sandy suggested.

"If we haven't heard from the Tiger, than he's probably dead, like the others. If the Viking knows and his bonded was injured, then probably no one survived. You are dismissed. Go see to the arrangements downstairs and I'll join you shortly," Felipe said, a bit defeated. He was not used to being beat at his own game and not getting what he wanted. If the Council was made aware of his plans, then there would be a trial called. He would have to step up his plans for the takeover or additionally face the wrath of Prince Niall. He rather be filleted and chained in silver for a century, than do that.

* * *

_**New Orleans - Evening of Revelation**_

Sophie-Anne was pleased with her call to Felipe and was in a much better mood for the evenings events. She was surprised that the Viking would share such information with her. Perhaps the telepath was more trouble to him than he'd prefer and now that she had survived a near kidnapping, he would be more willing to negotiate her release. But, she didn't have time for that now. She had a call to the Council to make and then dress for the ball. These indeed were exciting times. And, Felipe was going to pay for his trespasses. _Oh, happy day_.

* * *

_**Shreveport - Early morning, Day of Revelation**_

When Eric returned to Shreveport, he only had minutes to spare, but decided to send Sophie-Anne an email regarding the events of the evening. He apologized for the migraine ruse, but explained that as her bonded, he was responsible for her safety and protection. He also threw around Niall's name to ensure she wouldn't go overboard in her reactions. He was positive she would seek vengeance against Felipe for trying to steal what she considered hers. It would help him to have someone else in his corner, where Sookie was concerned. The Queen would be a powerful ally.

After his email was sent, he called Alcide's cell to arrange a conference call in the evening with all the guards and the WereTiger. It was important to keep him out of sight for now, so that Felipe would presume him dead. As much as Eric despised shifters and Weres, he knew that the Tiger would be a valuable addition Sookie's growing contingent of guards.

Finally he called Victor and had a very brief and direct conversation with him. "Victor, I want you to understand that if I find out you had _anything_ to do with Felipe's plans to take my bonded, there will be consequences."

"Eric, I can promise you that I had nothing to do with the events that happened at Donaldson's, other than I had been given his information by one of my trusted colleagues in Las Vegas. He was supposedly an important investor in the pharmaceutical company that Niall is involved with. I would have never sent Sookie into harm's way, if I had known it was a trap! You have to believe me. She is so special. I will never forgive myself for not thoroughly checking out the lead before sending her. Luckily, the Tiger was there," Victor rambled, nervous that the Viking was going to extract his anger out on him. He had known Eric Northman for a couple of centuries and knew how lethal he was. He hoped Eric would never find out that it was he, who initially gave Felipe the information regarding Sookie. That was something else he would never forgive himself for, but he was that much more determined to see that she was protected and safe from here on out, if he had anything to do about it.

Eric was surprised and pleased that Victor was so protective of his Sookie. He was beginning to wonder if this was another of her 'powers'…to rally trusted support around her. He would ask Preston and Claudine about what they have observed since being with her. But for now, it was nearly sunrise and time for him to rest.

"Well, Victor, I can't help but say that I am pleased that you feel so protective of Sookie. Just remember that she is _mine_ and all the standard rules apply. I will speak with you again in the evening," and he hung up.

* * *

_**Undisclosed Location - Day of Revelation**_

Once they returned Sookie to her room, the morning of the Revelation, Claudine and Preston popped to an undisclosed location, where they could safely meet and not be surrounded by 'inquiring minds'. Since fairies don't necessarily need to sleep in the human realm, they spent the next several hours that everyone else was using for rest, piecing together all the information they had gathered thus far.

"Part of me thinks we should at least ask Niall to assign one of us to watch over Sookie, officially. That way we have the ability to sense when she is in danger. Without his blessing, we are only able to use our own magic to protect her," Claudine mentioned. "I could have popped to her before any of that happened at Donaldson's or even when that Were abducted her from Merlotte's. But without his blessing, I'm missing that connection with her. I wonder if there is another way to establish that? Do you know, Preston?" she asked.

"It is very strong magic, to be able to tie one's self to a human's emotions like that. Only another Prince would most likely have that ability. And, the only other Prince still living is Breandan. I don't think you'd want him to find out about Sookie," Preston replied.

"Oh no. You are right about that. In fact, I have been doing some research on the knife Sookie found on that vamp, she so successfully sent to final death," Claudine smiled wide at that, "and well, I think that Breandan might have had something to do with that. There are several ceremonial knives of its kind within our realm. They are used for a variety of things and are made of one of those special metals only found in our realm. They can cut through any kind of flesh, human, immortal, supernatural, all as if they were made of butter. But only someone powerful, like a prince, would have access to such relics," she explained.

"Yes. I was certain when I saw it, that it had fae origins as well. If what you say is true, than Breadan is already aware of Sookie's existence. Why would he want to align himself with vampires in order to obtain her?" Preston wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but that means he was responsible for my sister's death as well. Remember I told you how she was killed at Jason's house and that's how we discovered Sookie? I bet he was the one who sent those vamps to get to Jason and found my sister instead. The only question is, how many vamps and who are they and what do they want? Obviously if they wanted her dead, they would have done that when they had her at the warehouse," Claudine surmised.

"Bill has a database of vampires he is working on. It is a sort of family tree. Victor mentioned it the other day. He said he overheard Bill asking some of the other vamps that are visiting with Sophie-Anne, about their history. He was under the impression that Bill had quite sophisticated equipment for this project and that it was being funded by someone other than the Queen. Maybe we could get access to his database and see if we can connect any of the vamps to the ones that have attacked Sookie, pinpointing who is on Breandan's side," Preston suggested.

"Who would fund a project like that? Do you think Breandan would have hired Bill to do that?" Claudine asked.

"I suppose it's possible. But based on what we learned from the scientists in Japan, I'm thinking it's more likely your grandfather, Prince Niall," Preston said.

Claudine gasped. "What in the world would he want that information for? Do you think he is cataloguing them for his experiments?"

"Well, let's look at the facts so far: Bill claims he is on our side in protecting Sookie, right? Something about making a deal with Niall. Money talks, especially to vamps. Niall obviously is interested in what affects vampire blood has on other species, if what the scientists told us was any indication. They claimed they had several vampires 'donating' their time and blood for research on all kinds of things -- including cures for incurable diseases and helping fairies overcome some of their weaknesses. Those iron-resistant gloves that Niall wears were created using some kind of chemical found only in vamp blood. It could easily be derived that Niall offered Bill money or the means, to do the project in exchange for keeping an eye on Sookie and cease his pursuit of her," Preston said.

"So if vamp blood is so powerful and useful, then perhaps knowing who is where and how old they are…or better yet, who has whose blood through the maker bond…would be most beneficial to someone interested in harvesting that. Pretty devious and certainly sounds like something Niall would be capable of. So if he approached Bill on creating the database, than would it be safe to assume that he was directly responsible for the Revelation, too?" Claudine asked.

"Well, let's see for ourselves tonight on how successful it is and how exactly they plan to reveal themselves to the world. If it is as well organized, as it seems that it will be, then we'll know that someone with great wealth and far reaching powers was involved, if not behind it. Let's package up what we know in a memo to the Viking and then see if we can concretely connect some of the assumed dots, in the next day or two. Eric said that the Queen expected Sookie to stay on for a couple of days, to ensure a smooth transition into the public eye. So, we'll have some time here to further explore. My first stop would be to Bill Compton's quarters and see if we can find out more about his database. Perhaps the vampire Victor, will be able to assist us," Preston plotted.

"It's time for Sookie to get up and start preparing for this evening. I think I should give her a little wake up nudge," Claudine grinned, snapping her fingers. "I'm in the mood for beignets and coffee. How about you, Preston?" she said with a giggle.

* * *

As the evening progressed and the Revelation was made to the world, it became clear to Preston and Claudine that persons of great wealth, were certainly behind the organization of it. Even the most influential and wealthy vampires would have been limited in their ability to get so much done, in such a short amount of time. Five years, supposedly, they went from the discovery of synthetic to organizing a mass reveal of a supernatural species? Impossible without some major help. The question is, why? It couldn't all have been in the name of research and development, could it? And how did Sookie fit into all of it?

* * *

**_Shreveport - Night of Revelation_**

Up in Shreveport, the night of the Revelation, Eric rose to a mountain of emails regarding his various Sheriff duties as well as an angry email from the Queen. She had called both Felipe and the Council already and lodged a formal complaint on behalf of her Sheriff and his bonded. Eric wondered if he had been too rash in his attempt at honesty with the Queen, for now the Council was aware of Sookie's 'gift'. _The Law of Unintended Consequences_, Eric surmised. Her existence was bound to be revealed at some point anyway.

The most interesting email he saw was from Claudine and Preston regarding what they found out in Japan and their solid theories connecting Niall to many of the recent events affecting them all. He was also interested in their assumption that the other remaining Prince, Breandan, may be responsible for all the unexplained attacks against Sookie. If he had two Princes to worry about, he may just be in over his head. Once again, he was reminded of his history with Niall, hoping this didn't mean another Fairy War.

He got ready for the evening and joined the rest of his retinue that would be involved in the Revelation that night. Pam, who was usually a stoic, was almost vibrating with excitement. She hoped to leave with a few delicious human women for the evening, anticipating that they would all be over the moon about the news.

"All the romance novels these days, paint us in such a glamorous and amorous light, that I'm certain things will go quite well for us, especially among the female population," Pam declared, licking her lips at the thought.

"I'll take your word on that Pam," Eric replied sarcastically. He couldn't help but wonder how Sookie was doing. The bond was very weak at this distance. Her emotions had to be in the extreme, similar to what they were last evening, for him to be able to truly feel her. Although, he knew for sure that she was alive, that was all he could tell for now.

When they arrived at the casino, where they were instructed to attend, they were all surprised by the turn out and the amount of local media coverage around. Eric had been told that all the news outlets, small and large, had been alerted to a significant news event happening this evening, but not exactly what. And, selected venues in all the large cities in the country were to hold some type of event, in order to corral the humans in one spot. This casino was having a two-for-one night, where every amount you bet, doubled automatically. It certainly worked, because it was a packed house.

As soon as he and Pam made their way through the crowd, they gathered a following. Eric had always had that affect on people, for as long as he could remember. It was as if he was a magnet and they were all metal. He assumed Pam had the same affect, because of his blood in her, but maybe she just had the same of whatever it was that he had. After all, she did attract his attention enough to make her his child.

He sent Chow and Maxwell Lee to spread out in the crowd and seek out other vampires, so when the announcement was made, they would have excellent coverage of the floor. Eric didn't anticipate any violent reactions, but he wasn't sure if there would be panic or mass exodus of the place.

Time passed by very quickly, even for them. The anxiety was palpable across the expansive floor. An announcement came over the PA system, turning everyone's attention to monitors that were mounted from the ceilings throughout the casino. When Ursula, the appointed head of the World Vampire League, made her appearance on the screen, all the vampires tensed and there fangs ran down involuntary. Luckily everyone's attention was turned to the monitors or else the jig would have been up.

Audible gasps and squeals were heard all around once the announcement was made. Several women fainted. A few rednecks swore they wouldn't stand for something so unnatural to coexist and were 'escorted' from the premises, but otherwise, it all went off without a hitch.

Eric was approached nearly instantly, by woman after woman, wondering if he would give them a private viewing of his fangs or if sex with vampires was as good as it was portrayed in recent books and movies.

Up until a few weeks ago, he would have taken a handful of these pathetic creatures back to one of his safe houses and had a good time, but for some reason, he was completely turned off by their aggressive behavior, their putrid smells and their false appearances. He wondered what Sookie was doing at this moment and what she would be able to tell him about what these women were really thinking.

Pam came by with twin brunettes following her. "Master, I would like to take my leave for a while, if that's alright by you. It appears there is quite a bit of interest in our _fangs_," she said, running her tongue along her distinct canines.

"Be careful, Pam. We just came out. We don't really know what any of them are truly thinking or what their true motivations are," Eric warned. He couldn't help but be leery of the humans reactions. In just the short amount of time he'd spent with Sookie, he had learned that what humans were displaying outwardly, almost never matched what they were thinking and feeling on the inside.

"I'm always careful, Eric. What about you? Are you not going to partake in any of the delicacies this evening?" she asked with a leer.

"We'll see," he answered vaguely, then shooed her away. He didn't want to get into a lengthy discussion with her, as to why none of the bloodbags were no longer appealing to him. Obviously, he would have to grab someone to feed on tonight, but he refused to make it about sex. Having these feelings pissed him off. He was a vampire for Christ's sake – sucking and fucking went hand in hand. But, now that he was bonded to Sookie, he was even revolted at the thought of having to feed from another, let alone getting off on one.

He blamed it on their bond. It made everything more intense, because they could literally feel what the other was feeling. How could anyone of these 'sheeple' compete with that?

He decided to make his way around the casino to see if any problems were cropping up, then he was going to go back to his building and finish up his sheriff duties. He checked in with the owner of the casino, who actually was a vampire and then met up with each of his retinue, giving them the same warning he gave Pam.

On his way out to his car, a voluptuous blonde woman stopped him and asked if he was a vampire. She wanted to know about his fangs and whether or not it felt good to be bitten. She was dressed in 'high-class' slutty attire and was definitely offering more than her blood. Eric was agitated because she was just his type and he was thirsty for his meal. In a moment of weakness, he agreed to follow her up to her room, which was in the hotel attached to the casino. All of his nerve endings were screaming that this was not a good idea, but his inner beast was chastising him for not being more of a vampire. He might be bonded, but she was not here and he needed to feed.

As soon as they made it to the elevators, she was on him, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. Even just the taste of her turned him off. But, he continued to quash the part of him that was feeling and went with what his beast was demanding. They continued on with their teenager ways, until the car sounded the beep that they had made it to her floor. She fumbled with her key momentarily while Eric looked on at her in slight disgust. He wanted to break her neck for putting him in such a predicament, but he knew Sookie would not approve of such violent ways. He tried to tell himself that she would understand that he needed to feed while she was gone. However, she wouldn't understand why he wouldn't have just been able to feed and not fuck his meal.

Just as the woman stumbled to the queen sized bed and spread her legs wantonly, his cellphone chirped that he had a text. He locked eyes with the woman, trying to decide if all this torment was worth it, while pulling his cell from his front jeans pocket. A cursory glance at the screen made his decision right there.

He stalked over to the woman, shoved her head to the side and sunk his fangs directly into her jugular. There was no prep, no warning and definitely no foreplay. Her blood tasted as bitter as her smell, but it served its purpose. He licked his finger and rubbed his saliva into the wounds, instead of licking them clean. Then he glamoured her into thinking that she just had the best experience of her life with a vampire that fit more of the description of Maxwell Lee than him, just in case Sookie ever came across this woman in the future. With his vampire speed he was out of her room and flying down the stairwell, instead of the elevator and back out to his car.

When he reached there, he pulled out his phone again and looked at the incoming text. It was from Preston. He had snapped a photo of Sookie with his phone, as she was looking up at the LCD screens in the Queen's headquarters. She had a smirk on her face that rivaled the Mona Lisa and she looked beautiful. The message simply stated, "All is well here in NOLA. Will touch base again later. – P." Preston saved the day. If it wasn't for his message, Eric knew now that he wouldn't have been able to contain his beast and he would have done something that he would regret for a long time.

Shaking his head, he cleared his mind of the offending thoughts and floored it back to his high-rise. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself in his sheriff duties until it was nearly sunrise. He received various texts from Sookie's guards throughout the night, as per his request and a call from Preston around four a.m., but he just couldn't bring himself to answer it. He was sure if there was any trouble, Preston wouldn't be the only one calling. However, once he heard the voicemail, he could have kicked himself for not answering it. It was a very exhausted sounding Sookie, saying that she was thinking of him and wondering how the reveal went in Shreveport. She was worried about him, even though she didn't quite say it. And she wanted to alleviate his concerns that all was well with her. Ending her message by saying that she was counting the hours until she would return 'home', really did it for him. He went to his daytime rest thanking the gods for Preston Pardloe's knack for timing.

The next evening when he joined the rest of his team down on the meeting room floors, Pam was there looking quite flushed.

"Pam, you look well. I assume the twins were rewarding?" Chow teased her.

"Indeed," she smirked. "You both look well, too. It is good to be out in the open, isn't it?" she almost seemed happy…almost. "What about you, Eric? How was your evening?" she inquired.

"Disappointing at best. Being out in the open takes the fun away from everything. We cannot hunt, we cannot kill and now we are expected to fulfill the fantasies of every foul middle-aged woman that approaches us. Not to mention the safety issues that will come of it. No, I cannot agree with you, Pam, that this is anything but good," Eric replied, in an obviously pissy mood.

"Eric, I don't know what strange game you are playing with the telepath, but with the bar opening soon, you need to get into the fantasy fulfilling role or it will be bad for all of us. This was all your idea…having a vampire themed bar where we are all on display. The prospect of possibly having one of us bite them, take them 'home' with us…that was all you," Pam retorted.

"Pam, remember your place. I do not play games, as you say. The 'telepath' is my bonded and since you have never been bonded with a human before, I cannot expect you or any of the rest of you to understand the intricacies of that. We will wait six months to see how being outed plays out and if all is still running smooth, the bar will open with the same plan. I am just not all giddy about the prospects of an easy feed, as you all seem to be. Now let's get down to business," Eric replied, in a manner that very much meant the discussion was over.

Eric was angry that Pam dared to call him out on his very unusual behavior. It was bad enough that he had his own emotions to deal with, but to have his child bringing it up and being so disrespectful in front of the others, just made everything worse.

Pam was worried about her Maker. Eric had always had such a joie de vivre. But, ever since he took on his duty to protect the girl, he had rearranged his entire life, even bonding her to him, without even considering the consequences. As far as Pam could see, the girl was making him look weak, by keeping him distracted from his duties as a Sheriff and even altering his very core as a vampire. How could he not be excited about open fuck and feeds? The Eric that was her maker, would have had a veritable orgy last night, with the way the human women were reacting to the news. Even when he wasn't known as vampire, human women threw themselves at him and he was always up for the challenge.

She decided that when Sookie returned, she would confront the girl about her hold over Eric and demand that she release him from whatever spell she has put on him.

"Eric, have you seen any of the news clippings or images from the Revelation yet?" Chow interjected.

"Not yet. Is there anything I need to be aware of?"

"One in particular, may interest you," Chow replied, by placing a copy of The Times-Picayune in front of him. On the cover was an enlarged photo of Sophie-Anne, Andre and Sookie standing side by side, in what appeared to be one of the Queen's viewing rooms. The caption simply said, "They are real!" but the underlying story mentioned many humans already being employed by the wealthy vampire businesswoman and making assumptions that they had been in on the plot to come 'out of the coffin' all along.

The fact that an image of Sookie was plastered over the largest print newspaper in New Orleans, made Eric uneasy. This wouldn't be good for keeping her safe, for sure.

Immediately he called Alcide, who was in charge of her daytime security and in very big trouble for being present twice now, while Sookie was hurt. "Alcide, what word do you bring this evening?"

"Everything is fine. Sookie is with Victor and Preston right now. We spent the day walking the city, visiting most of the tourist hotspots, so she could take a sampling of what everyone was thinking. There were a couple of groups of religious type folks who seemed rather angry about the fact that the 'undead' and 'evil' creatures were now out in the open. She is concerned that their hate could be breeding grounds for something more organized. Many others were wondering if there were other creatures out there besides vampires, so she is concerned that it will only be a matter of time before shifters and Weres and the rest may have to reveal themselves as well," Alcide informed him.

"I will speak to the Queen about getting you all home by tomorrow evening. And Alcide, when you get back, you and I have some business to finish regarding Sookie's second attack. Understood?" Eric threatened.

"Yes, sir," Alcide answered, scared to find out what kind of punishment he would receive for that. Although, it wasn't really his fault that she was hurt, it was his failure to foresee that there was danger before they even stepped foot into Donaldson's office. He had felt it and chose to ignore it, for the sake of Sookie's need to connect Niall to the Revelation and why she was being hunted.

Eric called Victor next, to find out what he had heard from Felipe's camp and what had become of the Tiger.

"Quinn is keeping a low profile, trailing Sookie during the day with the rest of her guards. I've heard from Sandy that Felipe presumes that Quinn met his final end at Donaldson's, since he didn't return. I suggest we keep it that way for now. The Tiger will definitely come in handy down the road," Victor suggested.

"I also believe Felipe is working on something bigger, to confront the Queen for her reaction over the telepath. And if you know anything about Felipe, you know that he only thinks big. If you in any way favor Sophie-Anne, you may want to subtly let her know that trouble is brewing," he went on to warn Eric.

"As for our probe into Niall and who might be responsible for the attacks on Sookie, I've convinced Bill to allow us to use his database of vampires, to see if we can connect them to either Niall or the other fairy Prince, Breandan. Sookie thinks she can identify some of the ones from the warehouse, if she sees a photo of them and Bill says his database contains photos as well, so its a promising lead. Preston and Claudine are going to try and work with them too, to see if they can make any connections to the fairies."

"Very good. Don't leave Sookie alone with Bill. He was originally sent to Bon Temps to seduce her away for the Queen. I don't know what skill he has in that area, but she is _mine_ and I don't want either of them to be tempted," Eric ordered. This was a reasonable request because vampires always guard what is theirs jealously and a bonded human should never be left alone among vampires that are not under the direct command of the bonded vampire.

Pam rolled her eyes when she heard Eric give those orders to Victor. She really thought Eric was going overboard with the whole bonded thing. However, Victor realized, after spending so much time with Sookie, that Eric was more than within his rights to demand such a thing and if it Sookie were Victor's bonded, he would never let her out of his sight.

xxxxxxxxxx

When Victor hung up and returned to the room where Sookie, Preston and Bill had gathered, he noticed them all agitated about something. "What is it?" he demanded.

"Andre just came in to tell us that Sookie's brother Jason, placed a call to the Queen's published business number this afternoon. He demanded that the 'bitch devil' release his sister or she would burn in hell," Bill answered.

Victor looked to Sookie, who had tears welling in her eyes. He felt compelled to rush to her side and comfort her, but knew that that maneuver may get him sent to his final death. He also wondered what her tears tasted like. Victor was unaware that Sookie was Niall Brigant's great-granddaughter, but he knew she had to be at least part fairy, in order to have two fairy guards protecting her. Plus, her smell was intoxicating.

He went and stood in front of her, "All will be well, Sookie. Do not cry."

"My brother is such a dumbass! How could he possibly think that threatening a vampire Queen was smart?!" she trilled.

"Well, obviously he doesn't know that part Sookie. He probably saw your picture in the paper today and just assumed that the bad vampires had somehow made you a hostage," Preston joked, trying to dispel her agitation.

"My what?! There's a picture of me in the paper? Why hasn't anyone shown this to me?" Sookie demanded.

Bill shuffled some papers around and handed her the copy of the Times-Picayune. "It's actually a very nice picture of you Sookie."

"Well, thanks Bill. But this is awful! Not only will everyone who is after me know that I'm here in New Orleans, working for the Queen, but now all the nutjobs who are angry and scared about the vampires, will lump me in with the hate and probably come after me too! God, why can't I catch a break?!" she cried.

None of the three men knew exactly what to do, but Preston thought she was absolutely right.

"I'm going to go speak with the Queen about this. Victor, will you come with me? Perhaps we can get her to release Sookie tonight, for safety's sake and get her back to her Viking," Preston recommended, although he would sorely miss spending so much time with her.

Temporarily forgetting his promise, Victor agreed to go with Preston, leaving Sookie alone with Bill.

"I'm glad we are alone, Sookie. I'd like to get to know you better and express my condolences for your cousin's death," Bill started, sliding a little closer to her. The action went unnoticed by Sookie, for she was consumed with her worry for Jason, while simultaneously flipping through pictures of vampires.

"That's OK, Bill. I really wasn't that close to her AND she is the one who got the Queen interested in me, after all. I would be happily under the protection of Eric and not here if it weren't for her," Sookie said.

This angered Bill. It should have been he, who found her first, not that brut of a Viking. He could smell Eric's scent all over her. "Well, one thing I've learned being a vampire, is not to dwell in the past. Hadley was trying to make things right by you, by making sure you were safe while you were here."

"Yes, I supposed I can be thankful for that. And, I try very hard not to live in the past. Especially, lately. Everything has been happening so fast, I can't even process it half the time," Sookie replied.

"I hope that now that Hadley is gone, you can be sure to trust me, while you are here at the Queen's residence. I might not always be here, when you are, but if I am, know that I'll be looking out for you," he offered, moving closer still, until their arms were touching.

"That's nice of you Bill. I'm sure Niall will appreciate your efforts," Sookie said, looking up at him and realizing that he was very close…too close, for her comfort. She sucked in a quick breath, then diverted her attention back to the computer screens, to continue looking through Bill's database.

"This is quite an extensive database, Bill. How long have you been working on it?" Sookie asked.

"For a few months now. It started out as a pet project of mine, but now that I have some financial backing, I've really put a lot of effort in it. It helps that the Queen has so many vampires coming through here. I hardly have to travel. Although, now that we are in the open, it will be easier for me to do so and really expand my collection," Bill said proudly.

"So, you have like, what…investors?"

"Yes. Prince Niall was very interested in my database right from the start. That's how I wound up becoming a part of your 'team' here," again proud of himself. "By the way, how exactly do you know the Prince?"

"Oh, I don't really _know_ him. I've only met him once, through Eric," Sookie replied, intentionally vague, but honest. She didn't want to give too much away. "That's great that he was so interested and wanted to help you. I hear he has many investments and research is apparently one of his favorite areas to invest in. Is he very hands-on for an investor?" She was fishing.

"He's asked me to look up information once or twice, but other than that, he trusts that what I'm doing is accurate and complete. That's the best scenario I could ask for in this," Bill answered honestly.

"I wonder why a fairy prince would need information about vampires. I thought they didn't get along very well," Sookie commented, feigning naivety and continuing to flip through more photos.

"Niall is very powerful. As with most powerful people, he probably has some sort of an agenda and sometimes it's helpful to have the right people in place to carry out such an agenda. Niall doesn't hate vampires, or he never would have asked Eric to oversee your protection. Nor would he have entrusted me to help. He works closely with members of our community and is in regular contact with Council members," Bill told her.

"Geez, you make it sound so scary…agenda's and powerful people. It's like he's the godfather and the vampires are his hitmen or something," she giggled.

Bill chuckled too, resisting the urge to stroke the piece of hair out of her eye that had just fallen there. She was so beautiful and pleasant to be around. Her face suddenly lit up.

"Oh! I recognize this one here. He was definitely in the warehouse that night," Sookie said, pointing at the screen.

"Let me see," Bill said, sliding the keyboard over to him. "If you click here, you can see if his maker is listed or any children," he explained, showing her how to navigate through his creation. "You see there? It shows he has two children. Let's click on their records and see if you recognize them."

"Yes, that one. He was there as well," Sookie pointed to the picture on the screen.

Preston and Victor returned with Mr. Hob following. "Have you found anything yet, Sookie?" Preston asked.

"Yes! I just found two of them so far. Bill, can you print out their pictures for me?" she asked, shooting Preston a significant look, to indicate she had some information to share.

"That's great! Well, Andre wasn't happy, but the Queen seemed to understand our urgency to leave, so she has dismissed you for now. But, don't be surprised if she asks you back in a few days. Apparently, there are some important meetings coming up, including one with the Council. Now that we're out in the open, there will be significantly more humans running about and she'll need you to make sure everyone is on the 'up and up'," Victor explained.

"For real? I get to go home, tonight?" Sookie squealed, bounding out of her chair and hugging Victor, then Preston. "Oh, thank you! All of you!" she shouts, looking down at Mr. Hob and giving him a radiant smile. "Have you called Eric yet?"

"Why don't you head back to your room and call him yourself, from Alcide's phone. He will be waiting for you outside your room. Get your things together and we'll see if we can charter a plane out tonight. If not, we'll have to drive," Preston warned. "Mr. Hob, would you escort Sookie?"

The goblin nods and turns to head for the door.

"Thanks Bill, for all your help!" Sookie smiled at him as she started to follow Mr. Hob out of the room. "Could you give those printouts to Preston, please? And, if there is any way I can access this database remotely, could you show him how to do it? I'd like to continue looking through it, once I get back to Shreveport if its possible," she asked. It wasn't completely true. She wanted to know that so that Eric, Claudine and Preston could all take a look at what he had shown her. She was hoping that his sense of protection towards her would work in her favor.

"Certainly, Sookie," Bill smiled, looking almost smitten.

Preston gave Sookie a wink and she walked out the door and through the labyrinth of hallways, back to her room. Alcide was standing outside with Quinn, just as Preston had said.

"Thank you, Mr. Hob. I never would have found my way back on my own," Sookie smiled at the fierce looking man. He just nodded and almost smiled in return.

"Hi Alcide! Quinn!," she greeted her guards. "Have you heard the news? We get to go home tonight, hopefully by plane," she informed them.

"Yes, Preston texted me a moment ago with the news. I'll be glad to get out of here. Although, something tells me, it won't be the last time we see this place," he said, looking concerned. "Here's my phone, so you can call Eric."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I know. I know. I'm sorry you are roped into this whole mess."

"I for one wouldn't want to be anywhere else, babe," Quinn said with a sexy grin.

Sookie blushed before rushing into her room. He was certainly a handsome man, even if he was a Tiger. She opened Alcide's cell and looked through the last numbers called, to find Eric's number. Before she could put the phone to her ear, after hitting send, she could hear Eric's cold response, "What!"

"Eric! Is that any way to answer the phone?" she scolded.

"Sookie. How are you? Is everything OK?" he said, sounding immediately concerned.

"Everything is perfect now! Preston and Victor convinced Sophie-Anne to let me come home tonight, if that's OK?" she asked, feeling slightly apprehensive suddenly.

"Of course that's OK. That's perfect! Are you driving or flying?" Eric said, stunned that she would think that it would not be OK.

"I'm not sure yet. I left the details to Preston, while I came back to my room to pack. I have lot's of stuff to tell you, so hopefully you won't be too busy or it won't be too late by the time we return."

"I'll check with Preston, but I'm sure I can arrange for you to get a flight out within the hour and then you'll be _home_," Eric replied. "Is there anything special you would like for dinner? Perhaps we can go out to celebrate. There is a vampire owned restaurant nearby that is already selling the bottled synthetic. We could sit down for a proper meal, if you'd like?" He was excited at the prospect.

Pam heard Eric's conversation and couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her Master was like a love-sick puppy. Maybe that was why he was acting so strange. Could it be that he was actually in _love_ with the girl?

"Oh! That would be wonderful! I can't wait to see you," she sighed. She knew it sounded pathetic, but she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling she had.

"I'll call Preston and get it arranged. Hurry, now and get your things together. I'll meet you at the airport in a couple of hours," he ordered her and then proceeded to make all the necessary arrangements.

Three hours later, Sookie and her entourage touched down at the private airfield just outside of Shreveport, along the Red River. True to his word, Eric was standing beside his perfectly restored, '67 Corvette, arms crossed over his chest, looking as intimidating as ever.

Sookie was instantly nervous, with butterflies suddenly fluttering around in her stomach. Should she run to him or simply walk over to him? Should she kiss him in greeting or wait for the others to leave before she does so? She was so busy fretting over what was socially acceptable, that she found herself the last one on the plane.

"Are you coming Sookie?" Alcide called over his shoulder, looking back at her still in her seat.

"Oh! Yes. Yes, sorry. Daydreaming, I guess," she blushed.

She grabbed her things and followed Alcide down the few steps, to the ground. Eric was talking to Mr. Hob, while Alcide brought her large suitcase over and popped it into Eric's trunk.

Eric looked up at Alcide and said, "We will speak later," very sternly.

Sookie frowned, "You aren't in any trouble, Alcide, are you? I don't want you to face any consequences for what happened at Mr. Donaldson's."

"Don't worry, Sookie. Alcide's a big boy," Quinn said, coming up beside them and putting a large arm around Alcide's shoulders.

"Quinn. You'll be riding back with Alcide, to my place. We have much to discuss as well, so try and stay awake until I return," Eric ordered.

_Geez_, Sookie thought, _he certainly is barking out the orders tonight_. Then he turned his gaze upon Sookie. It was predatory and gave her shivers from the base of her skull to her suddenly wet center. All the guards seemed to have disappeared and it was just her and Eric, standing there, staring at each other. It had really only been a couple of days since they'd seen each other, but that was too long.

He moved at vampire speed to place himself by the passenger-side door. He opened it up and waved Sookie to get in. She slowly walked over, placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and then got in. By the time she settled in her seat, he was already in, on the driver's side, smirking at her.

"Hungry, Lover?" he purred, smelling her arousal, while also feeling it through the bond.

"Mmmm," was all she could say, feeling completely tongue-tied.

He leaned forward, brushing his cool lips briefly against hers, once, twice and a third time, before running his tongue along her bottom lip. She immediately opened her mouth and he was on her. They kissed until she had to break away and catch her breath. The butterflies in her stomach had turned warm and fuzzy with a sprinkling of desire.

She brought her hands up to his face and just held him there while she studied his eyes, his mouth, his lips. "For someone who supposedly has such a way with women, you drive an awfully small car."

Eric laughed, a full hearty one. "It seats two people quite comfortably. Is there any other function I should look for in a car, Dear One?" Her lust was hitting him full on and he was racking his brain for the quickest location they could get to, so that he could have her.

Sookie blushed, crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, "Well are we going to sit here all night, or are you going to take me somewhere?"

Eric started the car and peeled out of the hanger, in the blink of an eye.

"No playing beat-the-red-light tonight, unless someone is following us again, OK?" she asked, squeezing her eyes tight, so she wouldn't have to see how fast they were truly going.

Within a few minutes, she felt the car slow down and pull inside a garage. "Where are we?" she asked, peeking through her eyelashes.

The next thing she knew, she was being carried out of the car, bridal style and into a house. It was a tidy, brick colonial style, with three bedrooms and two baths -- not that she saw much of it. They immediately went through a secret chamber in the second bathroom, that led to a large, windowless room, complete with king size bed.

He tossed her in the middle and had his clothes off in record time. She could see his obvious arousal, pointing straight at her. She blushed a deep shade of red and heat radiated throughout her body. "Oh my!" she whispered, putting her hand up to her throat.

He chuckled softly, before crawling towards her on the bed. He immediately set to divesting her of all her clothing as well, careful not to rip anything, for they still had dinner reservations later.

He pushed her onto her back and gently spread her open for him. The cool air hit her center, sending shivers all over her body. Every one of her nerve endings was on fire. He just stared at her for a minute, building the anticipation. She mewed and bucked her hips a little, letting him know she was getting impatient. Subconsciously, she reached up and rubbed her hand across her breasts, causing her nipples to pebble even harder than they already were.

Eric groaned at the sight and then dove between her thighs. He missed her sweet taste, actually craved it. Her moans and sighs were like angels songs to his ears. The bond they shared made everything so intense, he actually felt alive when he was with her like this. In this moment, he didn't care if being with her made him appear weak to others or even made him question his fundamental core of being vampire. All he could focus on was the pleasure and the love…yes, love he felt for her.

As he stroked her and suckled her, Sookie could think of nothing other than the pleasure that was flowing through her body, through her mind, through their bond. The sensations were mind numbing and she struggled to process everything as it happened. She couldn't imagine an existence without this. She loved him with all her soul.

As she came, the power of it caused her to scream out his name and shake in such a violent manner that it scared her. Eric exploded right after, overcome with the emotions that Sookie was forcing through the bond. It intimidated him to think of a human having such intense emotions. He didn't mean to harm her and couldn't live with himself if he did. It unnerved him further that he could have such a powerful reaction, solely based on what he felt through the bond.

After several minutes of panting and trying to control her body, she pulled Eric up to her in a heated kiss. "I have never felt anything like that in my entire life and I don't know if I could live without feeling that way again," she said to him. The words startled him. Saying something like that to a vampire meant something completely different than what it would mean to a human man. He knew through the bond, she told the truth, but would she be willing to forgo the rest of her human existence to truly spend eternity with him? Could he dare to hope?

Rolling him on his back, she climbed on top, settling each of her thighs on either side of him. She slowly lowered her aching center onto his still throbbing cock. The amount of stamina he had and the ability to instantly recover an erection amazed her. She knew she was ruined for a normal man, after being with him. She sat down, taking all of him to the hilt and began slowly rocking. With her eyes closed, shutting out everything else around her, she concentrated on the powerful sensations their joining caused.

She rubbed her hands over his hard chest, committing to memory each curve and valley. She pinched and twisted his nipples, still riding him in complete oblivion. Eric laid there, moving at her pace, just taking in the sight before him. He had never seen anything more beautiful. He thanked the gods for Niall –for his trust in allowing Sookie to be with him. He had no idea what the Fairy was up to, but as long he had Sookie, he really didn't care.

He slowly started rubbing her nub, bringing her back up to that special peak and as she began moaning out his name, he pulled her down to him, slowly sinking his fangs into that special place between her neck and shoulder. The taste of her blood was just as exquisite as her honey. Pleasure and ecstasy colored the flavor of her fairy spiked blood. If Niall's research company could recreate and bottle that, vampires would be putty in anyone's hands.

As they both crested, she whispered words of love. In return, surprisingly to both of them, he returned the sentiment. Bewilderment, shock, acceptance and joy filled their bond as his words washed over her, stronger than her orgasm. She had the love of a 1000 yr old Viking vampire…her, Sookie Stackhouse…who only a few weeks ago, was nothing more than a social outcast, trying to make ends meet as a barmaid.

They laid wrapped up in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity, but was really only about an hour's time.

"Come, Lover. You need to be fed now too. I have made reservations. We can finally go out together without pretending to be something, other than what we are." Sookie could hear the pride in his voice.

He led her back through the secret passageway that wound up in the secondary bathroom of the house. They cleaned up and dressed.

"Is this another one of your properties you keep around Shreveport?" Sookie asked, combing out her hair and deciding on messy bun, to disguise her just fucked look.

"Yes. I haven't been to this one since I bought it about twenty years ago, other than to make sure all was in order."

"Wow. I can't imagine how you keep track of everything," Sookie said amazed. "Vampires have really good memories, don't they," she commented. She held on tight to his right hand as they made their way back to the car, afraid that if she let go, the magic that had gone on between them would end.

During the twenty minute drive to the restaurant, Sookie filled him in on her evening with Bill and mentioned how she was hoping to get remote access to his database. She also filled him in on how the Revelation went at the Queen's and how she felt about its long term effects on other supernatural races.

Eric avoided discussing too much of his own experience with the Revelation. She didn't need to know how much he struggled that night because of her.

"So, you saw the picture of me on the Picayune, right?" Sookie asked, startling him from his thoughts. He nodded. "Did you hear that my brother Jason supposedly called one of the Queen's businesses and threatened her?"

This _was_ news to Eric. "I thought he was with a new girlfriend, finding religion somewhere?" he snipped.

"Me too. While I was walking around the city for Sophie-Anne, I came across a couple of groups of people thinking some pretty bad thoughts about vampires though. Nothing immediately harmful, but hate breeds hate. If these like-minded folk were to organize, I think you guys could have a real problem on your hands. I'm wondering if my brother has gotten himself involved in something like that?"

"For his sake, Lover, I certainly hope not," Eric said, with true concern. He wouldn't hesitate to take out anyone, including her brother, if they posed a threat to him or anyone under his charge.

As they pulled up to the restaurant, they noticed a swarm of people with cameras surrounding the entrance.

"Who are they, vamp-arazzi?" Sookie joked.

"Yeah, something like that," Eric laughed. "You always have a way with words." He flashed around to her side of the car and opened the door for her, offering his hand. As he escorted her to the back entrance, they were caught in the flash of several cameras. Eric growled and yelled at them to leave, but it only seemed to make the cameramen more bold.

"They're just trying to provoke you, Eric. Don't worry about it," Sookie said. Then she got an idea and let go of his hand. She focused on the energy surrounding them and then step towards the ones closest to her. She touched two camera's at the same time, with each of her hands, sending electric shocks into them.

The contact instantly splintered the glass lenses on the camera's and demagnetized their digital memory cards. Unfortunately, it also scared some of the other's away, who may or may not have gotten some shots of the couple, walking hand in hand.

Eric laughed, shaking his head. "If you are done showing off, let's get inside. These guys aren't welcomed in there," he growled, showing them a little fang and snapping his jaws at them.

They had a great laugh over the whole incident at dinner and truly enjoyed themselves, despite the minor disturbance.

The next day though, the incident was all over the papers, tv news stations and the internet. Someone had actually captured some footage and posted it on Youtube. Fortunately, no one actually captured what caused the freak electrical current that damaged the cameras.

When Eric rose that evening, he had 1000's of calls fielded to his various businesses, apparently the photos from the restaurant exposing his identity. One call in particular was of interest:

"This message is for the bloodsucker that has my sister. You guys better let her go, if you know what's good for you or the Fellowship of the Sun will make sure the last thing you bite, is the dust!"

**A/N: If you would, leave me some feedback, please? I only recv'd about half of what I normally get, last chapter and I'm a bit worried you aren't liking the direction of the story…Thanks for reading.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I just needed to say a huge THANK YOU to all the reviews posted last chap. You guys rocked!! Special thanks to all you lovelies who consistently review. You know who you are and I love you for it. *Viking Hugs* to VampLover1 for all the encouragement and support; Baronessjai for all the laughs; RevelryGirl for the impatient, patient waiting (lol) and iriskitty for the tremendous feedback. I'd love to name you all, but then there would be no story. You **_**ALL**_** motivate me and make me a better writer. Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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While Eric continued to weed through the mountain of messages he had received over the course of the day, he sent Pam to retrieve Sookie for him. They had much to discuss, regarding Niall, news on the other fae prince, Breandan and this new Fellowship of the Sun organization that her brother seemed to associate with.

When Pam arrived at the penthouse suite, that she decorated herself for this annoying girl, she found Sookie pacing at the windows that looked out over the Red River and into Bossier City.

"Sookie!" Pam snapped, enjoying the little jump Sookie made when she heard her voice.

"Oh! Pam! You scared me. You need to make some noise or something next time or you'll give me a heart attack," Sookie said, trying to scold Pam.

The thought of giving the troublesome telepath a reason to be hospitalized sounded very pleasing to Pam, at the moment. She was very unhappy with how Sookie seemed to be changing Eric. He was so strong and powerful. This girl was making him into nothing more than a pussy-whipped, teenage boy. Sookie might as well remove his fangs while she was at it, for that was the only thing separating him from any other love-sick male in this world, in her opinion. He didn't even act like a vampire any more, unless it had something to do with protecting his _Sookie_. Gah. The whole possessive thing over a human, just made her sick.

"Get your shit together, telepath. Eric needs you downstairs and then you are going to a couple of his businesses with him, this evening, to 'listen' to some of his associates," Pam snarled.

"What's wrong, Pam? You seem mad at me for something. What have I done to upset you?" Sookie asked, afraid of pissing off Eric's child. She may look like a milkmaid or modern day 'Swiss-Miss', but she knew for certain that Pam was lethal. She wasn't exactly sure how she knew it, but she had really begun to trust her instincts about these things lately. Perhaps it was all a part of her ever-expanding skill set. She seemed to be unlocking more and more pieces of herself every time she was in danger or forced into a precarious situation.

Pam crossed her arms over her chest, in a clear display of aggression. "Well, since you asked…there is something I would like to discuss with you. I don't like what you are doing to Eric and I want you to stop it, immediately," she demanded.

Sookie was taken aback by Pam's declaration. She blinked a few times and shook her head a little, to clear her thoughts. "What exactly am I doing to Eric that has you so upset? There is no way that you can be jealous of me, right? Because, I know I could ever come between you and Eric. You are his child and he cares for you deeply in that regard."

Pam hissed, thinking how foolish it was for this girl to play games with her. Pam didn't have half the patience Eric had. "He has not been the same since you came into our lives and I will tell you plainly, it is not good for us. He is Sheriff. He has responsibility to hundreds of us in his area and you are playing him for a fool. I will not have it. You must stop whatever it is you are doing."

Sookie was thoroughly confused. "I am doing nothing…_nothing_…to Eric," she spat, waving her hands in a criss-crossing motion. "If you remember correctly, I was living just fine in my own little world, when Eric showed up. He deceived me in coming with him and I've been thrown into your crazy-assed supernatural world ever since!" She took a deep breath and continued. "I've been beaten, staked, nearly killed several times and most recently nearly raped and sent off to another kingdom. Oh! And let's not forget that I am now blood-bonded to him, which I'm sure has way more significance in your world than what I've been told. You want to ask _ME_ what _I'M_ doing to Eric? I think you've got this all wrong, Pam," Sookie ranted.

Two stories below, Eric could feel Sookie's anger rolling through him. She was obviously distressed about something. Maybe she and Pam were arguing over what color shoes Sookie should wear. That seemed like something they would fight about. _Women…_

The telepath had a point, she had been through a lot these last few weeks, but it didn't explain Eric's behavior. "Sookie, we have all seen pieces of your magic. Eric has been unlike himself since the first night I met you, the night of Long Shadow's demise. He seems to have feelings, all of a sudden. These feelings are causing conflicts. He doesn't need to be attached to anything, especially a human. So, whatever hold you have on him, please, show him some mercy. Eric could be king, but that won't happen if he can't control himself better," Pam stated simply.

"The night of Long Shadow's death was the first time I had Eric's blood. If that is when you saw changes in him, than talk to _him_ about them. You're the vampire! You must know about blood bonds! All I know is what I _feel_ and what I feel is a deep need to stay close to him. It seems his blood amplified any attraction I had for him in the beginning and I'm trying to just accept that and work with it. Maybe you should do the same, Pam." Sookie could feel her magic starting to swarm around her. She didn't want to hurt Pam, be she was really angry at her for being so accusatory.

Pam could feel Sookie's energy too. "Calm down, Sookie. If I hurt you, Eric will not be pleased, which is the whole point of me talking to you. I don't know what kind of arrangement he and Niall made, but you are an awful lot of trouble, for just doing a favor for an ally – even if it is a fairy prince."

"You are really worried about him?" Sookie asked. "Because honestly, I think worrying about Eric is like worrying about the well-being of a rock or a tornado. He is so solid, unchanging, and indestructible. He knows what he is doing, Pam," Sookie laughed, taking a couple of deep breaths. But, Pam just gave her a look that made her want to be more clear and continue on.

"I assure you, I am doing nothing to him. And, I have no idea what kind of deal he made with Niall, nor do I really care at this point. He is all I have right now, you know? My Gran's dead, my brother is off with some crazy hate group. It actually seems that some of them are protesting outside right now. My only other 'living' relatives are a great-grandfather fairy prince and some fairy cousins, for cryin' out loud! The only normal, constant thing I have right now is Eric, which is crazy because he's a vampire. But, I'm clinging to that with everything I have. I will _never _do anything to put him in danger or force him to reciprocate the love I have for him. That's one of the things I rail against the most, because I feel like I haven't been given it much…choice. If he chooses me, that's one thing. I will never do anything to influence or coerce any return feelings. You have my word," Sookie promised. "Do you think Eric could say the same, given all the facts you have, Pam?"

Before the conversation could continue, both Pam and Sookie instantly felt a third presence in the room. "Pam," Eric said. In that one word, she was scurrying away back to wherever she came from.

"Eric!" Sookie gasped. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," he replied, guardedly. "I am in need of your assistance this evening and I have some interesting information I wanted to share with you," he said, glancing at her attire.

"Sure. Whatever you need, Eric," she said, blushing at the thought that he overheard everything she just admitted. "Pam said something about going with you to your other businesses? Am I properly dressed or should I change?" she asked.

"You always look beautiful, Dear One," he replied, holding out his hand for her to take. "Come. I have some things to discuss with you, but now we are running late, so we'll have to discuss them on the way."

Stepping out of the elevators into the lobby, they heard shouts of anger echoing just outside. "Protestors," Sookie said. "I could hear their thoughts, while I was upstairs. I was trying to read them all, when Pam interrupted," she scowled.

"Did you hear anything important?" Eric asked, stopping them before they neared the front doors. The guards waited for his signal and did not open them.

"They are trying to figure out a way to blow up your building or at a minimum burn it down. They want to eradicate all of you from Shreveport," Sookie said sadly, shaking her head. "I was listening to see if Jason was out there among them, but I don't recognize any of their 'voices'."

Eric rubbed his large thumb across the back of her hand in soothing circles. "Do not fear for me, Sookie. I have lived through much worse than some idle threats." He nodded to his guards, who immediately opened the doors, revealing a group of about ten protestors, setup across the street.

The limo was sitting there waiting for them, the door open closest to the building. The crowd noticed them as soon as they emerged and a sort of frenzy started. They began shouting racial slurs and name calling to both Sookie and Eric. "Fang-banging whore! You will burn in hell! God hates fangs! Bloodsucker! Deader!" The yelling went on. Eric gently pushed Sookie in the car and got in quickly behind her. As they pulled away, they heard things colliding with the car. Sookie flinched and tears pooled in her eyes.

"It's OK," Eric reassured her, kissing her temple.

"Part of me wants to go back there and zap them all with my powers, but I know that would just make them martyrs and do nothing but give the group more ammunition. I just don't understand how they can take any god's name and mix it with their own message of hate. That behavior has never made any sense to me," Sookie choked, trying to keep her tears from falling. There was a huge lump in her throat, making it hard to swallow. "And now my brother is a part of that. Gran is probably rolling in her grave over that."

"I doubt your Gran is moving at all, Sookie. The humans just need a little time to adjust. Most of them don't deal well with change," Eric said. "Let's discuss something else. You've already wasted too much energy on them. I have some information regarding Breandan, the other fairy prince, I wanted to share with you."

She giggled at Eric's comment about her Gran. "You are right. They don't deserve my tears," Sookie said, wiping her hand under her eyes. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, before looking over at Eric. "What have you found out?"

"Apparently Breandan has a huge disagreement with Niall, some policy that he has instituted. The fairies' numbers have dwindled significantly over the centuries, with their women having extreme difficulty in reproducing or being altogether infertile. Niall has encouraged mating with humans as a way to keep their numbers up, but Breandan feels that this action is only depleting their magic. So, he has been going around killing off any non-pure fairy he comes across, including your grandfather, Fintan," Eric explained, pausing to let that information sink in.

"He has ordered the round up of all of Niall's half-breed children to either be killed or held indefinitely, until Niall changes course on his policy and closes the connection between the human world and the fae world. I think that Breandan is using vampires as his tracking unit, to kill off these half-breeds. As you know, vampires love fairies almost to death, so it's easy for us to track them," Eric said, again rubbing soothing circles on the back of Sookie's hand.

"But, Breandan doesn't want me dead, or he would have had me killed at the warehouse, right?" Sookie asked, scared out of her mind.

"I think he planned on using you as a bargaining chip against Niall," Eric said, visibly disturbed by the thought. "Fortunately for us, you have quickly developed your fairy magic and are able to defend yourself quite well. This has more than likely infuriated Breandan even more," he said, with a grim smile. "We need to be extra vigilant now with your security. I've talked with Preston and Claudine at length about this. They will be visiting with you every day, while I'm at rest, to help you with your newly acquired skills. I don't want you to not be able to defend yourself, if all else fails. You are so strong willed and a survivor, just like me. You need to work with that, hone it and use it to your advantage."

Sookie sat there, looking out the deeply tinted windows, trying to absorb all of this information. "I think that Niall's little research projects are all related to this development with Breandan. I'm not sure how, but I'm betting it has something to do with the infertility problem or longevity with the fairies. You said before that fairies are not immortal, right? But you are? There must be a connection. Maybe he loves y'all as much as you love them," Sookie said, laughing a short humorless laugh.

Sookie had this knack for thinking outside the box and being practical. Whether she realized it or not, Eric thought she just discovered the key to all of Niall's scheming. Could it be that simple? Had Niall discovered some link between vampire blood and the fairies' mortality? If there was a connection to mortality, perhaps there was one with their reproduction problems as well? What better way to get access to vampire blood than to expose them to the world – to flush them out of hiding, tagging and cataloguing them along the way! And, why not get a vampire who was familiar with the technology and charming enough to get people to talk about their history, to put it all together in a neat, searchable and easily accessible package? Now that was downright brilliant! The planning, the patience, the coordination and the political maneuvering that all of that would require was almost unfathomable to Eric. Not to mention the money to pull it all off.

Both of them were pulled out of their ruminations by Eric's ringing cell phone. Sookie watched with fascination as he held the phone to his ear, never speaking until whoever was on the other end finished speaking. "Thanks for the heads up, Victor," he said, before flipping his phone shut. He looked over at Sookie and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. His eyes locked onto hers, searching for something, but she didn't know what that could possibly be.

"Victor just informed me that Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada – you know, the one who tried to kidnap you – has just offered our Queen the possibility of a royal marriage," Eric said.

"You mean, he just proposed to Sophie-Anne? Why would he do that?" Sookie said, laughing a little.

"Royal marriages are mostly for political gain, not love, unlike your human marriages. Felipe is doing this, I believe, to gain some control over having a Court telepath," he said, still searching Sookie's eye for some answer.

"You think he is doing all this, to get to me?" Sookie asked, bewildered.

"Yes. And, probably to take control of Louisiana as well. After all, we are just another state, like Nevada, whose industry is mostly based on tourism. This is right up his alley and he would probably do a better job than Sophie-Anne, in the long run," Eric said, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! I'm nothin' special! All I need is another group of supe's after me! Too bad, we couldn't get them all in the same room and then just blow 'em up or something!" she sighed. "But, I would be a bad Christian for doing that."

"Such violent thoughts tonight, my Sookie," he laughed a little. "Besides, there will always be someone to take their place. You are a rarity and that makes you a commodity. You are safer tied to me this way. If you were still working at Merlotte's and living by yourself, you would be ripe for the picking. This is why it's important that you set aside your ideas of marriage, children and white picket fences. It will not happen as long as you are known as the Telepath. Luckily, no one seems to have heard of your other talents…yet. I'm sure that will just be a matter of time, though. Now more than ever, you need to trust me to keep you safe," Eric said, pulling her tightly into his side and resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I trust you, Eric. More than anyone else right now, I trust you. Even if you don't always tell me everything," Sookie said, elbowing him in the ribs to drive home her point.

He didn't even flinch. "The things I keep from you are also to keep you safe."

"And to keep me from being mad at you," Sookie fired back.

This made Eric chuckle. She had no idea how right she was.

Finally, the limo stopped and they were at their first destination. More protestors were outside. There were only about five there, but they were just as worked up as the others. Sookie caught some of their thoughts. "These guys are really making me nervous, Eric. They are wishing they could sneak in and hurt everyone working here. It doesn't seem to matter to them that your employees are human. They lump everyone into the same category, as long as they work for you."

"Good to know. But, I am confident in the security of these places, Sookie. And, I will be hiring extra protection for my workers for the next couple of weeks. I'm sure things will settle down, once vampires are more integrated. We just need to make a good showing of community support – prove to them that we aren't so bad."

Sookie laughed, "How do you plan on doing that? For the most part, you _are_ all that bad!"

Eric laughed too. "They don't need to know that! Come on. Let's go interview some humans."

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**Two weeks later**

"It appears that Sophie-Anne and Felipe are close to settling on an agreement for their nuptials. I just received an invite to their wedding, which is being held at the old monastery, a few blocks from her headquarters, in five days. She is requesting the attendance of me and Sookie," Eric announced to the room that included Pam, Chow and Maxwell Lee.

Pam rolled her eyes at the news, still sour over her conversation with Sookie.

"Pam, I understand your reluctance to accept Sookie as part of our little nest, so to speak, but you will treat her with respect and not be so flippant around me as well, is that understood?" Eric commanded, with only a trace of irritation in his voice. He should have addressed the issue between the two women right after he found them arguing, but he was still struggling himself, with the feelings he had for the girl. Besides, what went on between him and Sookie privately was none of Pam's business.

"I was actually hoping you would come with us, Pam. Sookie could use a female companion. Claudine is great, but is limited with her fairy essence. Perhaps you two could go shopping and find some common ground?" Eric could only hope.

"You want me to babysit your pet? Is that what I left my life for in Minnesota?" Pam sneered. She was really pushing her luck, speaking to her Maker that way, but it was for his own good.

"Pam! You came because I called you and now you will do as I instruct. But, I will not have you upsetting Sookie every time you are alone with her. You will get to know her, go shopping and have fun, like females do. Understood?" Eric ordered.

Pam straightened up and nodded her head. She didn't have to like what Eric ordered her to do, but shopping on his dime would make it all a little more bearable. Besides, if he could fall in love with the telepath and forget he was vampire, maybe she could learn to like the girl too. She doubted it, but she would play along.

"Now, on to other business. Clancy was able to catch and glamour a couple of those Fellowship members and bring them here. Let's go have a little fun with them and find out what they have been up to for the last couple of weeks. My instincts tell me, they are up to something," Eric smiled. _Maybe he hadn't forgotten how to be a vampire after all_, Pam thought.

Three hours before sunrise, Eric returned to the Penthouse to check on Sookie. She was asleep on the couch with a book lying open on her chest. He had been so busy lately dealing with fallouts from the Revelation and trying to keep an eye on the Fellowship of the Sun organization, that they had not spent much time together. He brought her with him to business meetings every now and then and they had dinner out a couple of times, but that was about it.

He swiftly moved the book and picked her up, carrying her over to her bed. She stirred a little and moaned out his name. "Eric," she smiled, eyes still closed. He guessed she was probably dreaming of him. That brought a smile to his face as well. Thinking over the things he heard Pam and her fighting about, he realized that it might have been his own fault, for the relationship that had formed between them.

Drinking her blood alone had awakened feelings in him. He immediately began sensing her moods and was able to feel her presence wherever she was. The closer in proximity he was to her, the happier he felt. Then when he had fed her his blood after Long Shadow, things significantly shifted. Immediately, she began to show signs of her fae magic, outside of her telepathy and their connection seemed incredibly strong…almost as if their very souls had been woven together.

Things only became more intense once they were bonded. It used to be that humans were only bound to a vampire, so that they could serve as a slave of sorts. The presence of the vampire's blood in the human allowed them to be easily controlled. In the instance of him and Sookie though, the control wasn't as easily had. He could definitely ease her emotions, sending her calm or strength when needed, but he didn't think he could make her 'do' things. Of course, he never had the reason to try. He wondered if Pam was on to something, assuming that Sookie was somehow invoking some control on him, by feeding him emotions he wouldn't normally feel. If she was, he didn't think it was intentional. She was such a bright light in his darkness, taming the animal he had become over the centuries. Even if she was sending him love and comfort, he didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing. He rather enjoyed the feelings they had towards one another. It may appear to Pam that he was weak, but to him, his fondness…or…love, spurred him to be stronger, sharper, for Sookie's sake.

He just wished he knew what Niall was up to and what Sookie's role was in it. He feared that one day he would lose her and that fear was what truly made him weak.

While he was processing all of this, Sookie had woken fully and watched him for several minutes, observing his facial expressions change ever so slightly, while he was thinking. She assumed he was puzzling over the next great strategy. She began kissing his hand that was around her shoulders and then snuggled in closer to him, to place kisses on his chest, just below his neck. Working her way up, she had just gotten to his chin, when he realized she was awake. Immediately he kissed her near breathlessness, pleased that she had risen with time to spare before sunrise.

He delicately removed her bedclothes and then turned on his vampire speed to rid him of his own clothing. Turning her around in his arms, so they were in a spooning position, he held her tightly against his hard chest with one hand, while exploring her soft, warm center with his other. He took his time enjoying the feeling of being so close to her and her soft mewing. She rocked into his talented fingers, while reaching around to his world class behind and pressing him into her backside. She had never felt so intimate with him before or more as one. There was something big coming, she could feel it in the air. Whatever it was, she was sure that it would either make or break what was between them.

She cried out his name, riding out the dizzying feeling that spread through her body. Before she could completely recover, he slid himself inside her, right to the hilt. Taking in a sharp breath, in order to reconcile the pleasure and pain triggered from his abrupt entrance, she wondered if she could ever willingly separate herself from Eric. She didn't want to become a vampire, so how could they stay together? Certainly, he wouldn't want her once she started to show her age. Could she stand to have maybe ten or fifteen good years with him and then move on? The thought made her chest tighten and a lump form in her throat.

"Did I hurt you, Lover?" Eric asked, feeling her change in mood.

"No, Eric. Never," she sighed, focusing her attention in the moment. She would think on that another day. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to make love to her vampire.

Eric kissed her temple and pulled her even tighter to him. "This is best, this is right," he whispered in her ear. He too felt that something big was coming at them and for once, he lacked any control over the outcome. The fear that made him feel weak, threatened to overwhelm him, but he reined it in, focusing on the moment and the pleasure he felt in Sookie's arms.

"Lover, we are going to be visiting the Queen again," he said, a few minutes before dawn. "In five days, she is planning on going through with her marriage to Felipe. We have been requested to attend. It should be quite lovely, even if it is for political purposes. She owns a renovated monastery in the Garden District. Sophie-Anne doesn't do anything half-assed, so I'm anticipating a grand event."

"Do we have to go? What if Felipe tries something while we are there? Maybe this is all a ruse and he's going to go all 'Kill Bill' on her and slice her into pieces and run off with me, the valuable telepath?" Sookie sighed.

"I won't let anyone have you. You are _mine_," he answered, kissing her ear and continuing down her neck. "Pam will be coming with us, so that you can have some female company in the evening. We'll be headed there day after tomorrow and you'll need a ball gown. You can go shopping together and pick something appropriate out."

"I don't feel comfortable around Pam. She thinks I'm some sort of witch and has cast a spell on you or something. She says I make you weak. What if she tries to off me, while we are out shopping?" Sookie blurts out in a sudden panic.

"Pam will do no such thing. She is my child, therefore she will treat you with respect and care for you as I do," Eric growled, perturbed by the thought of Pam harming Sookie.

"Sounds more like wishful thinking on your part, Viking," Sookie teased. "Shopping is not the white flag of surrender for women. Spending money with me will not magically endear me to her."

"Sure it will. You don't know Pam!" he laughed. "I have to go now. Will you come with me or do you have something to do during the day?"

"I'm meeting with Preston and Claudine, remember? They are helping me with my magic. And we've been discussing Niall more lately too."

"Right," he replied, disappointed. He missed waking up to her warm body in the evening, not that they ever really had a routine of it, but he had enjoyed it when there was the opportunity. "Have you figured anything more out on what Niall has been planning?"

"Only that we are all certain he was the catalyst behind the Revelation. I told them about my 'dream' with Gran. I left out the stuff about you and the fairy war, but told them what I had seen him do. They were very interested in the fact that Niall may be keeping a vampire prisoner." Eric bet they were. The one positive thing about coming out of the coffin, was that more vampires were making contact with each other. If one of importance and/or power was missing, it was bound to come up. He wondered if Sookie remembered enough of the captive vamps features, to look through Bill's database for him, but it was time for him to go.

"OK, Dear One. Pleasant dreams. I'll see you in the evening," he got up, kissed her one last time and then vanished through the door marked with the red 'Exit' light.

Sookie quickly drifted off to sleep, exhausted from their lovemaking and broken sleep. Maybe it was because she had brought up her Gran to Eric, right before he left, but she felt herself drifting off into that dark void, like she had felt after being staked. But, then a fine point of soft white light seemed to overtake the dark and spread out around her.

"Gran?" she called.

"Yes, honey. I am here." Instantly, just like before, there Gran was, standing right in front of Sookie.

She leapt forward and enveloped her Gran into a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again! So much has happened!"

"I know, sugar. I've been keeping an eye on things. But I came to you as a warning this time," Gran replied, pulling away from Sookie's hug, but keeping her hands on Sookie's arms. She looked directly into her eyes, "Something big is going to happen in New Orleans…something that nobody is prepared for or expects. Your loyalties will be tested and you will have to make a choice. I cannot tell you more than that, but I need you to know that you must follow your heart. Do you understand?" Gran asked, continuing to stare into Sookie's eyes, the way Eric did sometimes when he was telling her something scary.

Sookie nodded her head. "Is Eric going to get hurt? Will I get hurt? I'm sure it has something to do with that Felipe person. He has already tried to kidnap me once. Then there is that fairy, Breandan…but he wouldn't dare show up at a vampire gathering, would he? Oh Gran! Can't you tell me anything about what's going to happen?"

"I'm afraid not, honey. Just know that I am watching over you and nothing will happen that you do not want to happen. The fate of many is in your hands. Make your decisions wisely and follow your heart. Now, I must go, you've got company." Gran kissed her forehead and gave her one last, brief hug and then melted back into the white light.

Immediately, Sookie started zooming towards the dark void again and then was assaulted with bright lights. She blinked a few times to gain her focus and realized that the morning light was shining in through the bank of windows that ran the length of the suite.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" Claudine's sing-song voice pierced Sookie's ears. "Rise and shine! We've got breakfast and lots of work to do."

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**A/N: So what do you think is going to happen at the wedding? Do you think Claudine knows too? What about Jason? And that Pam?! I realize this one is shorter than the others I've posted, but I needed to break it here, in order to give the next one its due. Hit the green button and leave me some feedback. I thrive on it. I'm hopeful next chap will be up soon. Thank you for reading. xox PS: Happy Birthday Lani!!**


	17. Chapter 17

Thanks again to everyone reading/reviewing/alerting etc. I missed a thanks to **Lubadub** last time, who helped me fix a big problem with chap 15. Thanks Chicka! Go check out her stories, they are fab! (She's in my profile, under Favs). Also, Thanks to **VampLover1** who always has my back on typos and such. She's in my favs too! I always go back and fix after I've posted, so if you see something that bugs you, let me know and I'll fix it or check back and see what I've fixed!! :) In this chap I describe Felipe. I used **Southernlady23**'s delicious pics of 'her' Felipe as inspiration. If you haven't seen her choice of cast of characters, go check out her profile. She's in my favs too! LOL. **Disclaimer:** Still **not** mine sadly. Just to be honest Nelly, I used some phrasing (not direct quoting) from ATD & DD in this chap.

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_**New Orleans – the evening before de Castro – LeClerq Wedding**_

"So, do you have a better handle on your magic now that you've had some training with the fairies?" Pam asked. She wasn't sure whether she was trying to provoke the telepath into a confrontation or if she was truly curious about her abilities.

They strolled through a series of shops scattered along the river in the Central Business District. Both Pam and Sookie were less than excited about being forced to spend 'quality' girl time together, as Eric put it, but they were equally eager to please the Viking, for difference reasons – but it was something they had in common and therefore a starting point.

Keeping her distance from Pam, Sookie replied, "Yes, I think I've become quite proficient at controlling it. I still need a catalyst to summon it, like anger or fear. But, I can use my recent memories to provoke that feeling, instead of being faced with the real thing, to call upon it." She didn't know how much information to give Pam, for she wasn't sure she could trust her the way she did Eric. "It appears I have several gifts, but the ability to harness negative emotions or moreover, their energy, into something positive and use it as a physical weapon is my main 'gift'. The telepathy apparently has nothing to do with my fairy blood."

"That is interesting," Pam said aloud. "I wonder what else is in your family history than, besides fairy? Do you know of any other telepaths, in your family or otherwise?"

"None that I'm aware of, why do you ask?" Sookie wasn't sure where Pam was going with this line of questioning. Pam pointed to a store across the courtyard they were strolling in and they headed in that direction.

"I was thinking that perhaps you could trace your lineage that way. If you knew of other telepaths, perhaps you could pinpoint a common ancestor and then figure out what type of supe they were. But, maybe it doesn't matter to you?" Pam said, trying to sound indifferent. Parts of her were curious now though, of what other things this girl was. She had assumed the telepathy was fairy, based on her direct connection to the Prince.

"That's a really great idea, Pam. Too bad, I don't know any other telepaths. I'll have to keep my 'ears' open and maybe someday I'll run into one. If there is one thing I've learned in this last month or so, is that there is way more out there, than anyone of us realize," Sookie said, shivering at the thought of what else went bump in the night.

Changing the subject, Pam asked, "So what's your favorite color? In East Indian cultures and some Muslim cultures, red is the choice of color for a wedding." It was also Eric's favorite color, but she didn't really want to help Sookie endear herself further to him.

"I'm partial to blues. Maybe because of my eye color and Eric's for that matter. He has the best blue eyes. I could just stare at them for days," Sookie said, looking off into the distance with a sappy smile on her face.

"Christ," Pam muttered under her breath. The girl had it bad for her maker. She didn't know what to think about that. "I'm a pastels person myself. And I'm not very fond of dresses. You would laugh if you saw the layers and layers of clothing I had to wear back in my day. And the underwear! Ridiculous, really. No, I much prefer pantsuits to dresses, now."

Sookie was shocked a little at Pam's openness to discuss her life as a human. "I always loved the look of a full skirted dress. It seemed to flatter the shape of a woman more than the current trend of outfits. Like Scarlett O'Hara and her hour glass figure. She was so beautiful, unlike the stick thin girls that grace the cover of magazine's nowadays."

Pam laughed, "You wouldn't think so if I bustled you into one of those corsets and strapped you into a crinoline and hoop. I'd like to see you try and use the bathroom in that gear! But, I must agree with you on the waifs of today. They are too bony and unhealthy looking for my tastes." She eyed Sookie, appreciating the girl's natural curves. Pam definitely saw the physical attraction, but yet to see where a thousand year old Viking vampire could fall in love. He had his pick of beautiful women over the years, many beyond the looks of this one. She was sure he'd had more than a handful of fairies too, so her blood couldn't be the answer either. What was her secret?

"What do you think about this one?" Sookie asked, breaking Pam from her introspection. She held up a chiffon dress in a silvery blue color with crystals and pearls sewn along the bodice. "Or this one?" In the other hand, she held up a cranberry colored, silk strapless dress that had a gathering across the bodice, that tied up on the left side, where it was secured by a crystal accented brooch.

"Try them both, but I'm betting on red. What do you think about these pant suits?" Pam asked, not really caring what the annoying telepath thought, but 'trying', as Eric had asked her. She held out a more mature looking silk jacket and wide-legged pant suit in a pale lavender color and an Indian inspired salwar kameez, in cream, with intricate embroidery and jeweled embellishments.

"Ohhh! I love the Indian inspired one best! It would look beautiful on you Pam!" Sookie squealed. That was Pam's favorite of the two as well. Sookie swore she saw a small twitch of Pam's mouth, almost as if she were going to smile before she remember that she was shopping with Sookie. This made her sad. She really wanted to like Pam, not only because she was Eric's child, but because she was seriously lacking in female companionship. Pam would be her link into the vampire world that Eric couldn't offer her.

"Let's go try these on. We have to meet Amelia Broadway, Eric's witch contact in about an hour. She is providing us access to a safe house, in case things go awry at the wedding," Pam explained, before heading off for the dressing room.

Two outfits with matching shoes and accessories later, all thanks to Eric's Black card, and the two women headed towards the south side of the French Quarter, on the outskirts of the Garden District, to meet up with the witch Amelia.

"Is she really a witch or are you just calling her names?" Sookie asked.

Pam actually laughed at that. "I forget how little you have been exposed to the 'real' world. Yes, she is actually a witch. She's young, but skilled at what she does. Eric keeps her in his contacts for special assignments. Her father is actually that big shot construction guy, Carmichael, I think is his name?"

"That's so cool. I wonder what all she can do?! Carmichael, huh? As in Copley Carmichael? And this is his daughter we are going to see? Is he a witch too?" Sookie asked excitedly.

"No. He's not. And Miss Broadway has many talents," Pam replied with a leer. Sookie giggled, trying not to imagine what Pam and this witch had gotten into. She noticed Pam definitely preferred women to men in the sexual preference department. It wasn't her thing, but it didn't bother her at all.

"Hi there! Oh! Hey, it's you!" a bouncy brunette greeted them, in front of a two-story, duplex style house. She was obviously speaking to Sookie, because she was embracing Pam in a _very_ friendly hug.

"You know Sookie?" Pam asked, confused.

"Well, not really. But, Eric brought her by about three weeks ago. She was injured or something. He asked to use the space and then had me get food for her. By the time I got back they were going at it like teenagers, so I never got formally introduced!" Amelia giggled.

Pam just shook her head and Sookie turned bright red from embarrassment.

"That man sure has a beautiful –," but Amelia didn't get to finish her thought.

"Yes, well anyway, it's nice to meet you, Amelia," Sookie interrupted, not wanting to hear what she was going to say about Eric aloud. She could already see it plain as day in her thoughts and what exactly she saw that night. What really struck her was how horrible she had looked when Eric first brought her here.

"Likewise! Anyway, here are the keys, Pam. Everything has been freshly laundered and the entire space has been cleaned recently. I put a stasis spell on it too, so there should be no dust bunnies or other critters lurking. I just hope you don't have to use it. Do you really think something is going to happen at the wedding?" Amelia asked anxiously.

"When have you been at a gathering for vampires that has _not_ turned into a fiasco?" Pam asked rhetorically.

"Well, this is my first official one, since you all have come out of the coffin – but you're right. There always is some drama or another. Maybe, I won't wear that Dolce dress I bought. I'd hate to see it get spattered with blood," Amelia mused.

"Well, you're a witch, right? Can't you just wave your magic wand or something and clean it right up?" Sookie asked naively.

Both Amelia and Pam laughed at her, then linked arms and turned to walk towards a set of glass French doors. "Come on silly girl, let's have a cocktail before you head back for the evening. You can tell me all about yourself, starting with what you are," Amelia said, looking back at Sookie pointedly.

To Sookie's amazement, she actually had a lot of fun with Amelia and Pam. Pam seemed to have genuine affection for Amelia and Sookie got to see a new side to her that she didn't think existed. Pam was able to see another side to Sookie as well. She was actually quite funny and feisty, especially when she had a couple of gin and tonics in her, despite her claim that she wasn't a drinker.

"Well, you didn't kill each other. So, your shopping trip was a success?" Eric asked Pam, putting his arm around Sookie and kissing her on the top of the head, when the girls returned to the hotel Sophie-Anne insisted they stay at, while they were in town. The Queen owned it and had Copley Carmichael's construction company working on a wing that was completely light-proof months before the reveal. She had been hopeful things would work out well with the humans and knew there would be a lot of traffic from visiting vampires, to the city that embraced diversity so well.

Pam nodded and Sookie bounced excitedly. "We bought the most gorgeous outfits. Thank you Eric!" She squealed with delight. He could tell she had been drinking.

"Yes. We did luck out in that department and of course, we spent some time getting to know Amelia. She sends her regards and that she'll catch up with you at the wedding. It seems the witch and the telepath have formed quite the friendship…" Pam smirked, looking at Sookie, who was looking a little rosy from drinking.

"She is so much fun! But, she is such a loud broadcaster. I had a hard time keeping her thoughts at bay sometimes. She really likes you Pam…especially that thing you do with your tongue…" Sookie giggled.

"OK. Thank you, Pam. We'll see you tomorrow evening. Remember that we will be needing to get ready quickly. Things start around 8:30, but there will be security to go through, so the lines will be forming early and will likely be long," Eric reminded Pam.

"I'll be ready. Sookie, I can help with your hair, if you need it," Pam offered. Sookie stood up a little straighter and looked Pam directly in the eye.

"Thanks, Pam. I appreciate that. I'm not very clever with that sort of thing," she replied, hoping she sounded as grateful as she felt. Not just for the offer to do her hair, but the underlying offer of some sort of acceptance by Pam. "Good rest," she added.

Eric nodded to Pam, with a smirk on his face. He knew all they needed was a little 'retail therapy' to get them to like each other. Women hadn't changed in a millennia, as far as he was concerned. It was just the way they did their hunting and gathering that had.

Once they entered their bedroom suite, Sookie wormed out of Eric's hold and turned to face him, with a slightly crooked smile. "So, big boy – what would you like to do for the rest of the evening?" she said, trying to sound seductive, while unzipping the hoodie she had on, revealing a very form fitting camisole. Her suddenly hard nipples were plainly visible through the thin fabric.

Eric eyed her hungrily. "Big boy, huh?" he replied, sliding his hand down his chest, to his groin, where he grabbed himself. "Darlin', there is nothing 'boy' about me. But, you are slightly intoxicated. I don't want to take advantage of you, in this state."

Touched by his hesitation, Sookie said, "I'm not drunk Eric. Maybe slightly less inhibited, but I know what I'm doing…and I hope that it's you I'll be doing in a minute." She fluttered her eyelashes at him and put a finger up to her mouth, channeling her inner sex kitten.

At vampire speed, he had her flat on her back, in the middle of the bed. His mouth was so tightly over hers, she felt like he was giving her resuscitation. Then he moved to her neck, his permanent five o'clock shadow scraping slightly against the thin skin there. The sensation shot tingling sensations all the way down to her throbbing center. Then his mouth found hers again and this time it was not so gentle. It was desperate, hungry, hot and utterly welcoming. His tongue brushed hers and molten heat leaped through her veins. Her hands moved to his chest, his skin, so cool and in contrast to her own. She followed the dips and curves of his muscles, feeling them shift under his skin, at the slightest movement. He was so strong, he could snap her in two without even a thought, but instead of scaring her, the thought spurred her on.

She quickly undid his pants, kicking them off his legs, grabbed his gracious plenty roughly and gave it a couple of quick strokes before placing it at her entrance.

"Oh no," he growled and flipped her over on her stomach. He continued with his lips, this time starting at the base of her neck and working his way down her spine.

Sookie panicked, wondering what he planned on doing. Maybe, she shouldn't have said her inhibitions were lowered.

He placed his hand under her stomach and gently pulled her up so that she was resting in downward dog pose. Then he reached around and started gently massaging her where she was craving it most. He was so talented with his fingers, she guessed it was a thousand years worth of practice. However, not every woman was the same, so, perhaps he just really paid attention to what pleased her most.

He took her quick and he took her roughly, both of them moaning out each other's name, as if they were gods. Poor Pam, across the way, surely heard everything that had gone on, but it couldn't be helped. "Bite me," Eric said to Sookie, flipping onto his back and pulling her to straddle him. "Pick a spot and just bite," he ordered, his eyes heavy lidded with lust. If he had to breathe, he would have been panting. Sookie certainly was. Her thighs and arms were shaking. She wasn't sure if she would have the energy to go another round, especially with the effects of the alcohol weighing her down.

She placed her palms flat across his chest, biting her lip, as if in deep thought. Just as he picked her up and slid her back down on his awaiting length, she decided the thick muscle between his neck and shoulder would serve well. She leaned forward while trying to keep up his steady rhythm below, licked the spot, then kissed it, before sinking her blunt teeth into his hard flesh.

He shouted out words in a language she heard him speak before, but didn't understand and felt him explode, both inside her womb and inside her mouth. The sickly sweet taste of his blood felt so good gliding down her throat, as she swallowed two huge mouthfuls before the wound closed. Finding her own good moment, while he rode out his, she rolled to the side and collapsed in a spent heap.

He rolled to face her and kissed her forehead. "Tomorrow evening will be intense, my lover, I can feel it. I need you to be prepared. I will protect you with all that I am and all that I have, but I want to be sure that you are confident in your honed abilities, just in case."

"Is that why you had me bite you?" she whispered.

He grinned and then kissed the tip of her nose, "No, I just like it when you play vampire with me." Then he ran his fingers through her hair, fanning it out onto her pillow. "I guess I just need reassurance that if worse comes to worse, you can defend yourself."

Sookie nodded, feeling nervous butterflies starting to take flight in her belly. "What do _you_ think will happen?"

"Well, it's an educated guess on my part, but since Felipe tried to take you away once before and suffered some losses, he will no doubt try something again. Sophie-Anne is aware of his attempt to take you and is probably quite pissed about that. So they agreed to this shame of a marriage, only to try and mete out punishment on the other. Again, these are assumptions on my part, but since I know both, they are no less than what will be," Eric explained.

"Do you think Felipe will try and bring me back to Las Vegas again?" she asked.

"Only if he is sure that he can send Sophie-Anne to her final death. He wouldn't risk kidnapping you and then not be there to see to your fate back in Vegas. He doesn't trust anyone enough. This is to our advantage. As long as Felipe lives, your freedom is threatened, but if he's gone, then you are free…from him at least," Eric reasoned. Then he kissed her softly on the lips and sent calm through the bond to her. "Sleep now, my lover. When you wake, go have a nice meal. Call Amelia and see if she would like to go to the spa with you, whatever you would like. Just be back in time to get ready, because we will be leaving shortly after sunset."

Sookie yawned, unaware that Eric's manipulation of the bond was making her so relaxed. He had gotten good at practicing the call to his blood in her over the last couple of weeks, so that she wouldn't freak out over his influence. He would never command her to do something that went against her beliefs, unless it was to save her life. He only wanted what was best for her…in his eyes. "Sleep, Dear One and hopefully in twenty-four hours, we'll be like this once again."

And sleep she did. Sookie had one of the best night's sleep she'd had since this whole ride had started. She woke at an early 1 pm, giving her plenty of time for a late lunch and an eighty-minute hot stone massage, with her new friend Amelia.

"So, you said last night that you had been to vamp shindigs before. Do you think this one is really going to be that bad?" Sookie asked, nervously.

"It's hard to say, now that they are out in the open. I don't know how many humans will actually be there. Before, it was just a variety of Supes and a few glamoured humans. But now, they've gotten into this whole 'donor' thing, where willing humans line up to serve as 'dinner' for the vampires. Of course, they can be glamoured later, if they witness something they shouldn't, but it's much harder now to cover up blatant murders. I'm prepared though and you should be too. At least you can read the humans minds there and see if they know anything ahead of time, right? And, do you have any other powers besides telepathy? That might come in handy, although your Viking is seriously badass. You are so lucky!" Amelia babbled.

"I'll read whoever I can and do whatever I can to keep myself and Eric safe. I'd do whatever I could to keep y'all safe, if it were up to me, but I know Eric won't let me be that brave. I've fought vamps before. I'm just nervous because there are going to be so many there," Sookie replied, shivering at the prospect of killing again.

"Wow! You've fought vamps before? How? What can you do?" Amelia asked. Sookie could see in her head, all sorts of scenarios of what Amelia thought she might be able to do.

"I really don't want to say right now. But, I suppose if it comes to that tonight, you'll know then! Sorry, it's for my own protection that the less people know about me, the better. Felipe is already too interested in my telepathy, not to mention the Queen. That's how come I wound up at your place, hurt the first time. Felipe had tried to have me kidnapped and shipped off to Vegas, like I was some sort of exotic African Safari animal or somethin'!" Sookie sighed. "If anyone else finds out, there will be no rest for me or Eric. We'll be constantly watching our backs."

"You really care for him, don't you?" Amelia asked, smiling at Sookie.

"I do. I don't really understand it, but I feel something like a compulsion to be with him. He makes me feel safe whenever he is near and at the same time, I feel protective of him," Sookie explained.

"Sounds like love to me!" Amelia giggled. "And the fact that he is willing to go out of his way to protect you as well, makes me think the feeling is mutual. Just be careful, because for as long as I've known vampires, they hardly ever change, so when they do, it is a permanent thing. He'll always love you, crave you and whatever else he feels towards you. Even when his vampire senses tell him it's wrong or dangerous." Sookie just nodded, absorbing this bit of information.

After two and a half hours, Sookie left the spa area freshly waxed, buffed and scrubbed and ready to possibly fight for her life. It seemed unfair that the only time she had the chance to really dress-up in formal wear, she would most likely be in danger. She tried to shove that idea out of her mind and focus on getting ready. By the time the sun had set, she had on her gown, the cranberry red one and all the coordinating accessories. Her heels were higher than anything she had ever worn, so she was practicing walking around the main living area of their suite, when Eric rose.

He came into the living area at the same time Pam did. They both startled Sookie with their quick entrance. "Eeepp!" she squealed. She had been so focused on her walking and thinking about the coming events, that she didn't even feel Eric's approach.

"Sorry, Lover. That is a beautiful dress," he remarked, moving closer to her and pulling her in for a deep, toe-curling kiss. "And you are a beautiful woman," he smiled, pushing back some of the hair that was around her face. He smoothed his hand down the back of her neck and then took her chin between his fingers and thumb, to hold her gaze to him. He seemed to be trying to tell her something with his eyes, but she couldn't figure out exactly what that was, so she just held his gaze for a moment, until Pam cleared her throat, unnecessarily.

"Do you still want me to do your hair, Sookie?" she asked.

"Sure! If we have the time. I just left it to air dry after my shower. It always seems to have more natural wave that way. I was thinking of putting it up. I have these great pins that Claudine let me borrow," Sookie said, looking at both of them significantly.

"I have the perfect style in mind. Come, let's go into my bathroom and let Eric handle some business," Pam said, reaching for Sookie's arm and guiding her towards the bathroom attached to her side of the suite.

After several minutes of fussing with her thick golden locks, Pam had Sookie's hair arranged in a very flattering up-do, with tendrils of curly hair falling around her face in strategic places. "Let me do your eye makeup too, you don't need much else. But, an article in Cosmo said that the perfect complement to an evening soiree, is a smoky treatment to the eyes," Pam lectured, while getting down to work. Sookie had no idea what Pam was really talking about, but took her word for it.

"There! Perfect. Grab your things and let's get going. I don't want to stand in line all evening," Pam complained. They walked back out to the living area, where Eric was ending a call. A huge grin spread across his face.

"I am the luckiest bastard tonight, to have two beautiful women escorting me," he praised.

Sookie and Pam both rolled their eyes at the same time, making Eric burst out laughing.

"What?!" Sookie snapped.

"Nothing, lover. Come," he waved her towards him, "do you have everything?"

"Just how much security will be there? Do you think they'll want to go through my bag?" Sookie asked, holding up her crystal covered, silver clutch.

"There will probably be a metal detector and someone doing light searches. Why, do you plan on bringing your arsenal, Dear One?" Eric laughed again.

Sookie just shrugged and said, "I need to go grab some things from our bathroom, I'll be right out." She rushed to her suitcase, where she grabbed a small aerosol can that looked like hairspray, but was truly filled with pure lemon juice, or what Claudine referred to as 'mace for fairies'. Then she grabbed two squares, wrapped in pink plastic. On the outside, to another woman, it would look like thin maxi-pads, folded into their discrete packaging, but on the inside were two, very sharp, pure iron daggers that also contained some sort of fairy magic around them. Once they were out of the package, they expanded in size to become two very large, very sharp weapons. Preston had given them to her as a 'just in case' gift. Finally, she pulled the lining away from the inside of the clutch and carefully lined the space in between with several hundred dollar bills, in case she needed to get away somewhere quick, without being tracked. Putting back everything the way it should, she headed back to Eric and Pam, with her 007-like purse, tightly tucked under her arm. "Let's get on with this," she said to both of them and walked towards the door.

After a short limo ride, they arrived in the Garden District, where the renovated monastery that Sophie-Anne held most of her large parties, was located. Sookie knew which building it was, even without the swarming of cars and people at the front gate. The place was a whole city block and lined on all sides by an 8-foot block wall. The only entrance and seemingly exit, was the one wrought-iron gateway that everyone flocked towards.

Security was everywhere. Vampire guards stood out front, while human police officers patrolled the outside perimeter. Sookie was sure that there was just as much unseen security, as there was seen. Either the Queen was paranoid, or rightly cautious. With the Fellowship of the Sun growing stronger everyday and Felipe de Castro's scheming, there was nothing wrong with being overly prepared.

It took the three of them, twenty minutes to get through security. Sookie panicked briefly, when the metal detector went off, while she walked through. She passed it off that it was probably her hair accessories. They allowed her through, as long as she submitted to an individual 'wanding' of her person. Eric could hear her heart rate increase when the female security guard went through her clutch and he wondered what exactly she had in there that made her so nervous. Then he caught sight of the pink squares and realized she was probably just embarrassed about that product being seen in there. Although, he was sure it was not her cycle yet, so he was a little curious as to why she would put those in there, but didn't bring it up as they made their way into the main event area.

"Wow! This place is gorgeous! The landscaping must cost a fortune to maintain," Sookie commented as they walked towards the main building. It was a two-story, non-descript building, with small windows placed equidistance along the entire length of it. "I wonder how old this place is?" Sookie asked, thinking aloud.

"Late 1800's, I'm guessing by the architecture and history of the area," Pam answered.

"It doesn't feel very holy and peaceful, like a monastery ought. I'm feeling pretty creeped out right now, actually," Sookie said with a shiver.

"Sookie, we can smell fear. Remember what I told you about my predatory instincts? You walk in there smelling of fear and all the vampires will be on you before you can even react. Understood?" Eric said roughly. He was putting his Sheriff's hat on now. Sookie was fortunate to see the softer layer of him all the time, because mostly they were alone. With this being such a large political gathering, under the guise of social niceties, he had a certain image to maintain. "You will be safe," he stated firmly, as he strolled with confidence through the archway that led into the courtyard, where everyone was gathered.

The quad, which served as the common area to all the rooms layering both floors of the building, was very tastefully decorated, to everyone's surprise. Being recent guests to the Queen, they were all familiar with her lavish, overcompensating style. There were fairy lights twinkling in tree tops and strung around the large pergola that covered the area where the soon-to-be husband and wife sat greeting their guests.

Sookie giggled at the sight of the fairy lights. _How appropriate_, she thought. Eric and Pam both gave her identical arched eyebrow looks, as if to ask what she found so amusing, but she just shook her head in a never-mind fashion. Eric led them to the line that had formed to go greet the lucky couple.

Sookie couldn't take her eyes of Felipe de Castro. He was gorgeous, in that Latin male fashion, with dark, almost jet black hair and matching eyes. He had a mustache (but not real thick) with matching chin strap and his shirt was unbuttoned several buttons to reveal thick black hair peeking out. She pictured him getting up from his seat and swaying out to the dance floor in a perfect Salsa dance. He even had a cape tied around his throat.

Eric cleared his throat unnecessarily, bringing Sookie back to the present. "It's our turn, Sookie," he said, his face not revealing any of the jealousy he felt. He could feel her attraction to Felipe, which surprised him, considering the bastard tried to kidnap her and in turn almost got her raped.

Sookie hadn't realized how quickly the line had moved while she was daydreaming about the King. She briefly wondered what she was supposed to do in this instance, but didn't have to wait long because Sophie-Anne chimed in, "Oh, how nice. Felipe, this is the telepath, Sookie Stackhouse and of course you know the Northman and his child, Pam."

Felipe stood, shocking everyone and swiftly moved to Sookie's left, grabbing her hand and kissing it, slowly and seductively. "My, how nice it is to finally meet you, Meez. Stekhuss."

Sookie sort of curtsied while he still held her hand and glanced over at Sophie-Anne. "Congratulations on your, ummm, your alliance?" she squeaked, not sure what to say.

"Thank you, my dear," Felipe replied. "You are even more stunning than everyone claimed you were. And you share a blood bond with the Northman?" Sookie nodded, not being able to speak. "Tell me, I'm so curious…there are a few humans here, can you tell me what they are thinking right now," he asked, still holding on to her hand.

She turned and looked out into the crowd. She could feel an overwhelming sense of strength and determination flowing through her and knew that Eric was sending it through the bond. She should have been mad at him for manipulating her like this, but at the moment, she was grateful. As beautiful as Castro was, he still wanted to steal her away and she didn't like that one bit. And he was making her perform, like a circus freak. She definitely didn't care for that one bit. But she complied, seeking out a random human from the crowd.

"That blonde woman over there, with the really big boobs, she's thinking about her date – the vamp with the curly brown hair. He promised to show her a really good time on the way over here in the limo, but he left much to be desired. The only thing she enjoyed was his bite and her own fingers helping to get her off," Sookie replied, embarrassed at what she just said.

Felipe laughed loud and boisterously and everyone stopped to stare in their direction. "Fabulous! What a delight you are Meez Stekhuss! I hope that once our union with Louisiana is finalized, you and the Viking will come visit me in Las Vegas. Your talents would be quite useful in my kingdom, especially the casinos."

Sookie was unsure of how to respond, but she really wanted her hand back. Eric responded for her, "We would be honored to visit you. Perhaps we can discuss details, after your ceremony this evening," he said, guardedly. He placed his arms on Sookie's shoulders and lightly pulled her back into his large frame. "But for now, we seem to be holding up the line," he gestured behind him.

"Of course! After the ceremony! Please, save me a dance," Felipe retorted, bringing Sookie's hand back to his cool lips for another kiss. Sophie-Anne made an unnecessary gagging noise and shot Felipe a dirty look. Sookie swore he rolled his eyes before letting go of her hand and flashing back to his seat.

Eric led her and Pam over to a small refreshments table set up for human guests. "Pam, they have _donors_. Why don't you go help yourself, before things get started," he suggested.

"Won't you join me?" Pam asked, knowing what his answer would be, but she had to try.

"I have my own source," Eric smirked, looking down at Sookie with smoldering eyes. That look sent her temperature zooming about ten degrees.

"Very well," Pam huffed and disappeared into the crowd.

"What was with the eye-fuck you were giving Felipe, Sookie?" Eric whispered in her ear. The feel of his cool breath and faint touch of his lips there, gave her chills, in a good way.

She smiled and looked up at him, "I was just surprised at how handsome he is. I figured he must have been a troll to be capable of such cruel deceit, but that just goes to show that looks are deceiving."

"Indeed, lover, indeed. Especially among my kind," he replied, guiding her over to a bench seat that was currently unoccupied. "The ceremony should be starting soon. Most of the important guests have arrived."

"So what exactly happens at one of these things? Obviously there's no walking down the aisle or anything like in traditional American weddings, right?" Sookie asked.

"Correct. There is a priest though. You'll see…it's very anti-climatic really, with just some exchanging of blood and sealed with a kiss," Eric winked.

"How romantic," Sookie snipped.

"Well, if you are looking for romance, you won't find it in our world. This is not a love match. It is an alliance, as you said earlier and nothing more. They will be required to consummate their union of course and must have conjugal visits every year for the next hundred years, but there are definitely no feelings between these two. Except for maybe hatred," he quipped.

Sookie looked in Eric's eyes for a moment, wondering if he meant what he said about romance not being a part of his world. The thought deeply saddened her. Eric could catch her change of mood through the bond and wondered what he said to make her feel so wounded. But before he could ask, a lovely female vampire strode out into the middle of the courtyard and asked for everyone's attention.

"Attention everyone!" she said in a very sing-songy voice, not unlike Claudine's, "the joining of Sophie-Anne LeClerq and Felipe de Castro is about to begin. We ask that you remain quiet while observing one of our more sacred acts."

The handsome couple stood up and made their way towards the center where the speaker just was. Some human flunky was spreading out a 6x6 square of red carpet with matching dais with steps. When he was done, a mysterious person, who was quite tall, appeared from the left side of Felipe and ascended the stairs. This person was dressed all in black and was hooded. It reminded Sookie of the Grim Reaper and with the hush of the onlookers, and the glint of the heavily jeweled knife in his hand, he might very well have been. Then he spoke. His voice was so seductive, Sookie felt like she was listening to an angel speak.

"You have all gathered this wondrous evening to witness the joining of two monarchs," he began. His words seemed to float on the wind and were carried throughout the entire complex. "Sophie-Anne and Felipe have agreed, both verbally and by written covenant, to ally their states for one hundred years. During this time, they may not marry another, unless it has been agreed upon by all parties and each must pay the other a conjugal visit at least once a year. The welfare of each of their kingdoms shall come only second to their own." Then he turned and faced Sophie-Anne (well his hood faced the Queen, no one could see his face) "Sophie-Anne LeClerq, Queen of Louisiana, do you agree to this covenant?" (A/N: ATD, p.166)

"Yes, I do," Sophie-Anne replied, glancing over at Andre with a significant look.

"Felipe de Castro, King of Nevada, do you agree to this covenant?" the Reaper asked.

"I do," Felipe said and looked out into the crowd. His gaze led to a small group of fierce looking vampires that were standing underneath the cover of the second floor balcony. If it wasn't for the faint glow that vampires seemed to emit, no one would have seen them.

"Then join hands, Sophie-Anne, your right to Felipe's left," the hooded figure commanded.

The flunky from earlier reappeared, holding an ornate goblet and went to kneel in front of the couple. Sookie assumed he was the 'catcher' of the blood. The whole scene reminded her of the vision of Niall and it made her queasy.

The Reaper man held up the knife ceremoniously, displaying it to the crowd before swooping down and slicing Sophie-Anne's head clean off.

The crowd went nuts. Pandemonium broke out. The Reaper threw his hood off and standing there was the most beautiful, but also the most evil being Sookie had ever seen. He had long reddish hair, pulled back into an intricate braid and the most piercing green eyes. He was pale like a vampire, but glowed more like Niall did when he popped in and out of a room. Then he smiled, the most vicious of smiles. All his teeth were pointed, like mini razor sharp daggers. They might as well have been replicas of the dagger in his hand.

Eric growled and grabbed Sookie, placing her behind him and calling Pam to him. Immediately vampires from all around flanked their sides. Sookie recognized Victor, of all people and a couple of the guards from Sophie-Anne's court.

Andre's anguished cry echoed throughout the courtyard and those that were human were heard screaming as they tried to escape.

Sookie felt a tug at her left hand and looked to see Amelia squeezing in between two of the vampire guards. She had a tense smile on her face. "I guess it's showtime, girlfriend!" she said sarcastically.

Startled by the man's presence, Felipe slowly started backing away from him. "I'm not here for you, you fool. You've served your purpose. You can get your precious state, but the telepath is MINE!" the Reaper screamed.

Sookie tensed when she heard those words. Immediately her magic started to swarm around her. "Back up! All of you!" she yelled.

Everyone but Eric moved away from her slightly. The robed man's eyes focused directly on her and everyone felt the power pass between them. Sookie kicked off her heels and picked them up swiftly. She scooted around Eric, before he saw what she was doing and she whipped a heel directly at the man. She knew without a doubt that he was the one that Claudine and Preston had been preparing her for.

"Breandan!" she yelled. "If you want me, you'll have to come and get me yourself!"

If Eric needed to breathe, he would have stopped at the moment he heard those words pass her lips. Breandan was a fairy prince! Was she insane to think she could take on a fairy prince all by herself?!

Gasps and more screams could be heard at her words. Several of the older vampires present knew exactly who Breandan was. And, the mood shifted from fear and outrage to bloodlust at the thought of a full fairy prince standing before them. Andre nearly came in his pants at the thought of such a gift being bestowed upon him, even at the loss of his precious Queen and Maker.

Sookie hadn't planned on fighting Breandan on her own, but she was prepared. She knew the minute she yelled his name, his little act would be put in jeopardy. Surely there were vamps here that knew his name and what exactly he was. The shoe throwing was just a rouse.

He caught it easily before it had a chance to hit him. But, her shoes had something special on them…shards of iron and a heel of iron. It was one of the things that had set off the metal detector. But, when they 'wanded' her, she had kicked off her shoes and set them aside. The security guard didn't even think to check her shoes. So when Breandan palmed her shoe, the sharp pieces of iron sticking out, that looked nothing more than large polished stones and sequins, sunk right into his skin, exposing his blood to every hungry vampire within a 100 ft radius.

Breandan howled in pain before spitting out, "You little bitch!" and then launching himself at her. She anticipated that too and pushed out a jolt of electricity that arched out in a semi circle around her. It acted as a shield just long enough for her to reach up into her hair and pull out her very sharp iron pins.

Before she had a chance to throw them, like Chinese throwing stars, more fairies appeared and began fighting with some of Sophie-Anne and Felipe's guards. One jumped at her and she wound up using her pins to stab them into either side of his neck. He dropped nearly instantly and then three vamps were on him, trying to drain him of his blood before he turned to fairy dust.

Things were going to get crazy quick. She either had to kill Breandan and try and get out of there or else she would very well become a vampire snack herself. She looked around for Amelia. "Amelia!" she cried out. Amelia was at her side almost instantly, muttering something very fast in Latin. "Do you have a car here and do you know another way out other than through the way we came in?" Sookie asked quickly. Amelia nodded and pointed towards a set of doors that looked like it led to one of the rooms intended for special guests. Sookie made a note of the location and then said, "Here, hold this for a second," and thrust her purse into Amelia's hands. She rummaged around for the little pink squares. Amelia looked at her confused until she saw her unwrap the little packages and saw the tiny daggers grow in size right before her eyes.

"Go wait for me by those doors. We'll need to get out of here soon, because the fairy blood makes these guys crazy. Humans shouldn't be around for that," Sookie warned. Again, Amelia just nodded and clutched Sookie's purse to her chest and ran off towards the hidden exit.

Eric ran up beside Sookie, slicing a fairy in two with a sword, saving her from a possibly fatal wound. "Where the hell did you get that sword, Eric?" she gasped. He just grinned and pulled her in for a breathtaking kiss; then as quickly as he showed up, he disappeared back into the melee. Obviously, he was hyped up on the bloodlust and possibly fairy blood. She needed to be very careful around him tonight, if they were to all survive this.

She looked around for Breandan, not wanting to get away before she faced him. She needed to leave tonight with one less enemy hunting her. But as she was backing towards the door Amelia was standing by, someone grabbed her left arm. "There you are!" Andre sneered. "It seems the Queen wasn't the only one after you. What are you?" he hissed, raking a sharp fingernail down her arm, drawing blood. Before he could get a taste, she summoned her power and touched his forehead with her forefinger. He was launched away from her as if he had just touched a live wire. She fought the urge to follow after him and stake him, but she had more important matters to attend to.

She wished at that moment she could fly, so that she could get a bird's eye view of the crowd and find Breandan. Just then, she heard a scream of rage, but it was a woman's and it sounded like Pam. She ran towards the sound without a thought and found Pam with bite marks in her arm and her kameez top torn, barely hanging on her body. Pam was fighting Breandan all by herself!

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size," Sookie spat. She had felt Eric's presence nearby, but didn't realize he was floating right above them. He was about to swoop down, to assist Pam, when he saw Sookie approach and speak.

"Oh and you think you are my size, little one?" Breandan replied. "Well, then bring it on!" he snarled, bearing his razor teeth.

"No, but he is," Sookie answered, pointing up to Eric. Just as she had hoped, Breandan took his eyes off of her and looked up to see Eric hovering above. She took that opportunity to use her very sharp daggers and drive them right into his chest. They slid into him as if he were soft-serve ice cream. The look of shock on his face, the moment he realized he had been outsmarted by an eighth-fairy princess, was priceless.

Eric dropped down from the sky, as Breandan's lifeless body dropped to the ground, daggers still sticking out of his chest. Sookie immediately began to back away. She didn't want to be caught in an alleyway with two crazed vampires, no matter who they were to her.

"Where are you going, Lover?" Eric asked, pupils dilated and fangs fully extended. He was the quintessential vampire at that moment.

"Umm…I'll just be going. Perhaps we can meet up before dawn, back at our hotel room? You have fun there," she stuttered, pointing towards Breandan's body, while trying to slowly move away from them. She was also trying very hard to not be scared, but because of the blood bond, Eric could feel her panic. She didn't trust him or Pam at the moment.

"Why are you so afraid?" he asked ominously.

"Now, Eric, we both know how y'all get around fairy blood. So, I'll just be going and when you've had your fill and calmed down, I'll meet you at the hotel, OK?" she answered, still moving back slowly away from them. She had just made it to the opening that led back to the courtyard. She glanced from side to side quickly, to see if there were any more threats headed her way. She caught the sight of Amelia hovering anxiously by their escape path.

He stared at Sookie, his eyes wide open, unblinking, his lips drawn back in a silent snarl to expose his extended fangs. His eyes looked black as night and just as dangerous. "You killed a fairy, Sookie," he said absently, looking at her neck and its throbbing pulse. "You killed a fairy prince as if it was nothing. To you it _was_ nothing and you came prepared. You expected him to be here, didn't you. That's why you were so scared tonight." He was clearly pissed off. "You kept this from me, didn't you," he accused, stalking forward.

Sookie stole a quick glance over at Amelia and tried to send her an SOS message through that quirky reverse telepathy trick she did a few weeks back, when Felipe's thug tried to rape her. "Could use a little help, Amelia," she mind spoke. But, Amelia just stood frozen, not willing to get between Eric and Sookie.

"Now look, Eric. I didn't intentionally keep anything from you …I was…just…being proactive and practical, like you are," she stuttered, still walking backwards towards Amelia. If she could just reach that door, she felt like she would be safe.

"You killed a full-blooded fairy prince. Fairies are hard enough to kill on their own, but you seemed to do so with ease and with quite the weapons. Someone gave you those weapons and you apparently possess enough 'spark' to be able to kill your own kind quite easily. Now tell me, why are you keeping things from me?" he snarled.

"Eric! If you don't back off, I'll be forced to use my 'spark' on _you_ and I really don't want to do that. Now go on and finish off Breandan's blood before Pam gets it all and we'll discuss this tomorrow evening," Sookie spoke quietly, but sharply.

"You can't run from me, Sookie," Eric threatened. That spiked Sookie's fear. No longer able to keep a lid on her feelings, she forced her thoughts back to Amelia. "Amelia, open that door and get inside. I'm going to make a run for it," she mind spoke again.

Amelia didn't even hesitate and opened the door, bolting inside. Sookie continued to walk backwards, but this time, picking up the pace. Eric stopped his advance, realizing he could simply command her to come to him through the bond. But in that moment of hesitation, Sookie turned and ran as fast as she could, grabbing the handle on the door and slamming it behind her as she went.

Immediately, she was in complete darkness, but she could hear Amelia's brain and her whispered chanting. "Amelia," she whispered. She felt a small warm hand reach out and grab her, and then she was dragged quickly through a narrow hallway that seemed to be sloping downward. A memory of a month ago, when Eric first brought her to his daytime resting place, hit her. He had said that when one sense was taken away, her others would compensate. So, she closed her eyes and allowed her other senses to lead her through the way out.

"Quickly!" Amelia whispered, shoving Sookie through another doorway. A rush of cool night air hit her face. She opened her eyes, to see they were just outside the block walls of the old monastery. "I have a friend waiting for us, down this way," Amelia thought in her mind. It was a good thing she was a strong broadcaster, because not only could Sookie hear her loud and clear, but she also 'saw' exactly who was waiting for them and what car they drove, through clear mental images.

Amazingly, the made it to their 'getaway' car without anyone catching up to them. "No one followed you?" the old woman asked Amelia.

"No. No! Now go! She's bonded to the Viking and he'll be able to track her. We have to get her to your house, under the wards before he takes to the sky!" Amelia yelled.

In a move right out of a great car racing film, Octavia, Amelia's witch mentor, hit the gas and spun out onto the street and into the night. After about twenty minutes of driving in circles, so it seemed, they pulled into a quaint old, cottage style house complete with front porch and white picket fence. Amelia explained they were in Uptown New Orleans, not very far from the Garden District or where they had just escaped from, but safe enough until daylight.

"Will you be going back to your hotel in the morning or do you think you should stay away and let Eric cool down? He seemed pretty upset at you for something and if I were you, I wouldn't get on the bad side of the Viking. He has a reputation for a reason. Although, he seems very calm and in control with you," Amelia babbled.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. He is supposed to be my protector...like my bodyguard. But, what's the protocol when you piss off the one who's supposed to be protecting you? I have no idea what to do!" Sookie cried. Steady streams of tears poured down her cheeks, letting the emotions of the day consume her.

Amelia filled Octavia in on everything she witnessed, including some of Sookie's abilities.

"What are you, dear?" Octavia asked, handing Sookie a box of tissues.

"Well, I'd rather not say, but considering how nice y'all are being…Well, I'm an eighth fairy and I'm a telepath," Sookie responded, in between hiccups.

"You must be more than one-eighth fairy, if you killed your own kind without any effort. Fairies are very hard to kill, unless of course, it's another fairy doing the killing. Or if you had some access to very specific weapons in which only the fae have access to," Octavia replied, not believing Sookie.

"Well, I didn't say that I didn't have help…and where I got the help from is unimportant. I'm answering your question about what I am, honestly. And, believe me when I tell you, it's all in our best interests, that the less you know about me, the safer we'll all be," Sookie declared.

"Fair enough, child. Now, let's get you settled down for some sleep. I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of clothes that will fit you, but you are welcome to whatever I have," Octavia said, showing the girls where they could change out of their evening wear and get cleaned up for bed.

Sookie was determined she would think about all of this in the morning, after a good night's rest.

When she woke in the daylight, it was approaching two in the afternoon. She heard the sound of a TV blaring and mental voices, freaking out. She decided to get up, in a nightgown that reminded her of her Gran, and see what the commotion was about.

When she reached the kitchen, she found Amelia and Octavia huddled around a small black and white television. It was tuned to one of those all-news-all-the-time channels. They were discussing the events of last evening in downtown New Orleans. According to their reports, a hate group had stormed a private party held by wealthy vampire businesswoman, Sophie-Anne LeClerq. Many vampires and human guests were killed in an outright attack on the party-goers, Sophie-Anne being one of them.

"Oh no! They didn't! They didn't blame this on the Fellowship, did they?!" Sookie panicked.

"Sure looks like they did," Amelia said, looking at Sookie wide-eyed. "What do you think will happen now?"

"I'm not sure, but it can't be good…"

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**A/N: Well…are you breathless from the action? Are you dying to know what happens next? Then hit the green button and tell me what you think!! Thanks for reading! oxo**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Thanks for all your support so far! You guys rule and if I could send you a real Viking Hug to each of you, I would. I'm traveling this week for work, so I got this one out quickly to tie you over until next weekend. Hope you all have a great week! Mad love to **VampLover1** for keeping my errors to a minimum, post my Posts. **Disclaimer:** SVM & TB are not mine!

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POP! The sound of Claudine popping into the elder witch's house startled everyone from their concentration on the television.

"Sookie!" Claudine cried. "You did it! The Prince is so pleased with you!" she said excitedly, grabbing Sookie into a tight hug. Fairies were very touchy feely, in Sookie's experience.

"How did you get in here? Who are you?" Octavia yelled, exasperated that her wards didn't hold.

"Oh! I'm sorry. No need to worry about your wards. They were perfect. They kept the Viking's people out until dawn, lucky for Sookie here," she said, hugging Sookie again. "I'm Claudine, Sookie's full-blooded fairy cousin," she said, too perky for everyone's liking.

"So, how did you get past the wards, if they could not?" Amelia asked.

"Because I'm not from this realm," she said with a wink, feeling that was enough explanation for the witches. "I'm really sorry to barge in like this, but I need to speak with Sookie in private," she said, looking at Sookie with a stern expression on her face. "Eric is very upset with you and I'm afraid it's all my fault!" Then she waved her hand and it seemed Amelia and Octavia were frozen in place. "Don't worry, they're OK. Just sort of frozen in time," Claudine giggled.

"What do you mean, all your fault?! Eric was out of control last night. If it wasn't for Amelia's fast thinking and talents – well, I don't want to think about that. I thought he was going to drain me dry, right there after he saw me kill Breandan! Why is he so upset over the fact that we suspected Breandan might make an appearance last night?" Sookie asked, confused.

"Well several reasons really. First, let me say that he would never drain you dry. He loves you and because of your blood bond, he wouldn't be able to. He was just a little under the influence from all the bloodlust and fighting. Remember he is a Viking warrior first and foremost, a vampire second and whatever remnants of a man, lastly. He can't help if he looks scary when he's pissed, but he would never act rashly," Claudine defended Eric.

"OK. Fine. So, he wouldn't have drained me. Why was he so mad? It's not like he doesn't keep secrets from me!" Sookie snipped.

"He keeps secrets because he has to. He's a vampire Sheriff and deeply into politics, whether he wants to be or not. On top of that, he has many that he is loyal to and sworn to keep their secrets. Did he not warn you that he too thought something was going to happen last night?" Claudine asked.

"Yes, he did. In fact, he warned me several times. And, Amelia did too. I just didn't see how telling him about what we had discussed would help anything. It's not like we knew for sure fairies would show up. It was just an educated guess on Preston's part, right?"

Claudine frowned and blew air out of her lips, in a huff, that made her bangs fly around her eyes. "Well, it was a little more than an educated guess. But, we didn't think to tell you to make sure you informed the Viking. I assumed you told him everything. Now, I get what they mean about ass-u-me-ing things."

"You mean, you guys knew for sure Breandan would be there?! How could you not tell me that?!" Sookie yelled.

"We didn't want to freak you out, Sookie. And, we assumed you'd tell the Viking and he would come up with an amazing plan as usual. Niall figured Eric would take him out himself. But, the fact you did it has made him even happier!" Claudine replied.

"This is ridiculous!! So, Niall knew about all this as well and Eric is upset because…what…I did his job for him…stole some of his glory, his brownie points with Niall??" Sookie yelled.

"No, Sookie. Eric isn't like that and you know that. Now, pay attention," Claudine said, straightening her back and giving Sookie one of her most serious of looks. "If any of the other vampires, especially Felipe, find out you knew about the impending attack against Sophie-Anne, both you and Eric's lives would be forfeit, regardless of whom you are to Niall. Next, a lot of vamps saw you use your fae magic last night, and although I'm sure you were magnificent…no thanks to yours truly and Preston…but that means they all know you are more than just a human with a useful ability. Felipe will surely have a very keen interest in you now, more than ever, again regardless of your relationship to Niall. Eric feels that if you had been more forthright with him, he may have been able to prevent the bloodshed all together last night and perhaps even save Sophie-Anne's life. But now, they are all caught up in this thing with the Fellowship of the Sun and who knows what will happen because of that!" Claudine explained.

"So basically this is all my fault because I chose to keep everything to myself and handle it all my own way? That the vamps are all innocent in everything that happened last night?" Sookie screamed, starting to cry.

"Sookie! Stop it and listen! I'm trying to explain to you why Eric is mad. That's it. There is no blame. We can't change what happened. We all just have to work harder and together to fix this mess," Claudine chastised Sookie.

"So, with Breandan dead, what's that mean for Niall and all his scheming?" Sookie asked, still crying. She felt incredibly guilty about everything. What if Eric and Claudine were right and lives could have been saved last night. But, instead, because she thought she could 'handle' things, people died and the wrong people got blamed for it all. How could she make this right?

"It would seem that Breandan's death has just eliminated a thorn in Niall's side. And, of course it saved any remaining members of his family and those half-breeds from other's families. As far as what his overall plan is and how Breandan's death affects that? Only Niall knows…" Claudine trailed off.

"I need to go to Eric and explain everything. I feel so bad. I feel like I betrayed his trust in me," Sookie wailed, hanging her head.

"Well, he feels pretty bad too, for scaring you. Don't tell anyone I told you that. As far as anyone else is concerned, he was within his rights to not only scare you, but also to punish you for your actions. The fact that you ran from him and successfully hid yourself from him all night, only makes things look worse for him," Claudine said.

Sookie cried harder. "You are not helping, Claudine. What is going to happen to Eric, if any of this gets out? What were the vamps saying last night?"

"Well, most of them were too amped up on fairy blood to really notice much of anything, thankfully. Eric called Niall the minute you disappeared. We all found you within minutes, but Niall told Eric to let you be for the time being, while they worked to contain the mess at the monastery. He left some trusted vamps outside until sunrise, for your safety. Felipe and the rest of his entourage slipped away during the melee. Niall wanted to speak with him about his connection with Breandan, but decided against it, because there was no telling what state of mind he was in. Eric is hopeful that he can contain any questions of his character. The big thing he's worried about is you and your public displays of power. You killed a fairy in front of several vamps and then killing Breandan? He is very afraid for your safety and now so are we," Claudine said, trying to soothe Sookie, without making her over confident.

"What should I do next? I am feeling really worried about Eric all of a sudden, like I'm being compelled to go to him. Do you know where he is for the day?" Sookie asked, drying her tears with the sleeve of Octavia's borrowed nightgown.

"All the vamps eventually went back to Sophie's headquarters. They figured they were safest there and so are the humans. There were several 'accidental' deaths last night, as the vamps left the monastery, high on fairy blood. And some who had escaped the initial 'threat' had to be killed because of what they had seen," Claudine hung her head in sorrow.

"What?! Why couldn't they just be glamoured – made to forget?" Sookie gasped.

"Well, several reasons, but the main one was to make the Fellowship look responsible for not only vampire deaths, but human deaths too. The plan is to make them look so bad, no one will join their cause," Claudine explained.

"Well, that's just stupid logic. If the Fellowship isn't around, some other group will be! No," Sookie said, shaking her head, "I need to get to Eric and make this all right. I need to fix this Fellowship thing before it gets out of hand!"

"How do you plan on doing that?" asked Claudine.

"I'm not sure, but first, I need to get dressed and get over to the Queen's residence. I need to be there when Eric rises. Maybe speak with Felipe too, to see what he knows and what he saw last night. I'd like to know what he was doing messing around with Breandan too," Sookie said.

"You have hours before sunset. Why don't you rest and Preston will go over there with you later," Claudine suggested.

"No. I need to go now. Something is urging me to go there now. And, one thing I've learned these last few weeks, is to trust that feeling. Can you get me something decent to wear? I only have my gown from last night," Sookie asked Claudine.

"Sure. If you think that's what you need to do, I'll go get you something to wear. Why don't you have a shower. By the time you are done, I'll be back and I'll get you over to Sophie-Anne's myself," Claudine assured Sookie. Then she waved her hand and Amelia and Octavia were released from their frozen state.

After thanking Amelia and Octavia for their help the previous night, Sookie and Claudine made their way over to vampire headquarters. The minute they arrived, the number of protestors surrounding the building startled them. There were easily one hundred people lining the sidewalk just outside the main security entrance of the building. Were guards and police officers, were holding them back, but Sookie could tell that the tension was building.

Several FOTS people were carrying large signs and banners, accusing the vampires of all sorts of horrendous crimes (most of which were true); some had bullhorns to spread their message of hate, while shouting out racial slurs. The leader of the group seemed to have noticed Sookie and Claudine standing there watching and approached them.

"You're that girl on the newspaper covers, aren't you? You willingly hang around with those things?" he spat, pointing behind him at the building.

Sookie looked into his mind and saw nothing but vile thoughts about her and Claudine and what he'd do to them if he were not in a crowd of people. It chilled her to the bone. Then she got a flicker of another thought….something about another group on the other side of the building and he was hoping they'd hurry up before sunset.

"How about I give you a choice…You come over to our side, tell us where they sleep during the day, give us an in to their building and God will forgive you of your sins and lead you on a righteous path. You belong with humans not these…these…deaders!" he snarled.

Claudine was offended at his assumption that they were human. She was about to teach him a lesson, but Sookie sensed her move and put her hand on Claudine's arm. "That doesn't sound like a choice. What's my other option, Reverend?" Sookie snapped.

"Stay with them and die. That's your choice!" he threatened. That's when she saw it all, their plans to blow up the building and the part of the hotel they had been staying in a couple of nights ago. They had bombs and explosives planted strategically all over the city. They wanted to make a statement about last night. They figured if the public already thought them capable of killing vampires and causing deaths, why not live up to their reputation and actually do it.

"Oh my God! Claudine, I have to get inside!" Sookie used her mind voice to speak. "They are going to blow up the place!"

The 'Reverend', as Sookie called him, saw her change in demeanor. "By the way, we have your brother, too. Good 'ole Jason Stackhouse, if I'm not mistaken? All looks, no brains. Caught him screwin' my wife, little bastard! Now he's going to become a martyr for our cause. You see, I have him driving a delivery truck to this place as we speak. He thinks he's delivering refreshments for all us protestors, but really it's filled with a special brand of our homemade explosives. As soon as he parks that truck and steps out of the driver seat…KABOOM!" The man laughed evilly.

So this must be the decision, Gran had warned her about. She had to choose between saving Jason, her only living relative (well other than her fairy family) and Eric, the love of her life, as well as all the other vampires she had come to know and respect. How could she make a decision like that?!

"Claudine! Find that truck! I have to get inside and get as many of the vamps out of there as possible!" Sookie screamed with her mind.

Claudine gave her a significant look and then took off. Sookie brought her hand back and punched the Reverend in the face as hard as she could. She wanted to do more, but there were too many witnesses. However, with the amount of vampire blood she had in her system, the punch was pretty powerful. She was sure she at least broke his nose, as he lay bleeding and unconscious on the pavement.

She jumped over his body and ran towards the Were guards. "Let me in! I'm Sookie Stackhouse! You have to let me in!" she pleaded. "The vampires are in danger! Please, let me in!" Luckily, one of the Were guards recognized her from the monastery the night before and nodded to the other one to let her in.

"Thank you! Thank you! Do you know where the majority of them are staying?" she asked quietly.

"Take the stairs to the second floor. There are another set of guards in there. They'll help, ma'am," the one who recognized her, said.

Sookie ran as fast as she could and located the guards. "Do you know where all the vamps are resting? There are bombs! The Fellowship! They've planted bombs all around the building. We have to wake them up and get them out of here!" she cried.

"How do you know that?" one of the guards asked.

"Telepath! Duh! Don't you recognize her? She's with that big blond vamp…the real scary one from last night, remember?" the other one answered. "But, I don't think you can wake them, ma'am. And, where would we bring them? It's broad daylight outside!"

"Call ambulances. There are humans here sleeping as well. Tell them there is a fire or something. Aren't there fire alarms around here? Let's pull them and get the fire, police and rescue here. They can bring them to an underground parking garage or something…somewhere until dark…someplace where the Fellowship can't reorganize to very quickly. Do you know anywhere like that close by?" Sookie said, trying to think.

"There are some old warehouses, down by the water. If we can get them there, we'll get our pack and some of the other packs around to come guard the place until sundown. Jesse, go call the Packleader, tell him we need reinforces right away," the Were instructed. "If we had some witches, we could put up some wards around the place too," he said, thinking on his feet. He didn't much like vampires, but knew if the Fellowship got away with this, there would be no stopping them in attacking other Supe groups someday too. He had to do what he could to help.

"I know a couple of witches, but I don't have their numbers. Amelia Broadway and Octavia…I never got her last name. Do you know either of them?" Sookie asked.

"I don't, but I'll make some calls. Now come on! We need to try and wake these vamps. Come with me!" he ordered, turning and running down a hall.

"There are some down here, in this hallway and more up on the third and fourth floors," he explained.

"I need to find Eric! I can't let anything happen to him!" Sookie shook with adrenaline.

"I bet he's up on the fourth floor with the rest of the super important vamps. All their doors are locked with special keycode panels though," he answered.

Sookie saw the gun resting on his hip. "Do you have another one of those? I might be able to get past the keycodes, but I won't be able to bust down their doors easily. One of those might help."

"Have you ever shot one of these before," he asked, pulling the weapon from his holster.

"I'm from Bon Temps. What do you think?" she sassed.

"Well, then here, take this one. I got some more weapons in our guards' closet. Maybe you'll want a shotgun, too -- just in case," he said, turning around and heading down a short hallway to retrieve another gun.

"Here," he said, sliding the strap of the shotgun over her shoulder. "Put these in your back pocket," handing her a box of extra shells. "Now, go. I'm sure we don't have much time. I can hear their chants outside getting really fevered. I'll give you a minute's head start before I pull the fire alarm. Then, I'm going to start knocking down these doors and trying to get as many bodies out as I can, OK?"

"Thank you," Sookie choked out before dashing towards the stairwell and running up to the fourth floor.

The hallway was very dark, with only a few LED safety lights illuminating the carpeted hallway. She tried to focus on the hum in the back of her head that she always felt, since bonding with Eric. He was definitely close. She tried a couple of doors by simply shooting off the handles, but they were empty. The next two had unfamiliar vamps in them and although she felt guilty for leaving them, she needed to find Eric first.

After four rooms and six unfamiliar vamps later, she really started to panic. If she didn't find him in the next room she was going to scream. She shot at the door and then kicked it in. Flipping on the lights, she saw a very naked Pam and an equally naked Viking sprawled across a king sized bed. Tears sprang to her eyes…she didn't want to think that they had had sex last night, but knowing firsthand how vamps reacted to fairy blood, she didn't doubt that both of them probably got up to no good.

"Eric! Pam! Wake up!" she shouted. Just then, she heard a large bang and some commotion outside. _Shit_, she thought. She ran over and started shaking Pam, because she was sort of on top of Eric. There was no response from her. In fact, it was as if she were a big floppy pillow, the way her body responded. Another loud noise outside and the building shook a little.

"Eric!" she yelled, right in his ear. She saw him twitch just a little. She decided that the best way to get a reaction was to use her magic. She didn't need a lot of inspiration to summon it, for she was a ball of nerves and fear. Reaching out her hand, she touched Eric's thigh, sending a jolt of electricity through his body. Instantly, his eyes opened and his fangs came down.

"Eric! We have to get out of the building! It's going to blow and it's the middle of the afternoon!" Sookie cried.

He bolted upright and came at Sookie, but she put her hand up and made that weird shield like arch in front of her, to buy her some time. "Eric! Listen, it's me, Sookie! The Fellowship have planted bombs all around the building. It's going to blow any minute! We have to get you and Pam out of here!"

Eric nodded and stumbled over to Pam and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "Window," he uttered, still in a sleep type stupor. Of course! Eric could fly. It was as if they were on the same wavelength. Except, Sookie didn't know how she was going to break the window, until they both glanced over at the rifle she had left by against the busted door frame.

"Wait! You're completely naked! You'll burn!" Sookie cried. She looked around the room and grabbed to comforter off the bed. Eric helped her wrap Pam in it. Then she dashed off to the bathroom and found a robe hanging on the back of the door. She grabbed it and ran back out, throwing it at Eric. "Put it on now and let's go!"

She grabbed her gun, cocked it and aimed it at the window. It took two blasts before she could break away the rest. Eric helped her the best he could, but holding Pam and staying awake were consuming all his energy. The only thing keeping both he and Sookie going was their bond. He could feel his blood humming in her with her nervous energy. He used that to call to him, his own strength and that's why they seemed to work in unison.

As soon as the glass was cleared, Eric grabbed Sookie by the waist and they launched out the window. Eric moaned loudly at the feeling of the sun on his exposed parts. He was burning up fast. They sort of zig-zagged through the air, towards a group of ambulances below, before he crashed landed them onto the concrete. They both yelled out in pain, but Eric's burning was Sookie's only concern, at the moment.

She did the only thing she could think of and pulled her shirt off and threw it over his head, while guiding them to an ambulance. "Bring them to the location you've been told. Make sure they stay out of the light. And, make sure no humans are around come sunset. Injured vamps, make for hungry vamps and we don't want any 'accidents'" Sookie ordered the attending EMT.

Then, she ran back towards the building to see if she could help with any others. But, just then a huge explosion rocked the building. Glass and metal exploded outward all around her, the force of it knocking her to the ground. She turned her body around, to see Eric's ambulance made it far enough away, that it wasn't damaged. However, some of the others weren't so lucky. As long as they were still drivable, she didn't care what kind of damage the rescue vehicles had sustained.

Her ears were ringing from the intense sound and close proximity of the explosion and her head hurt. She reached up to feel a large bump on her forehead and just a small amount of blood leaking out. Her body was much worse off, considering she was now without a shirt. She had small cuts and lumps all over her upper torso. Slowly rising to her knees, she looked around at the devastation. The entire building had been razed.

No doubt, the vampires that hadn't been moved prior to the explosion, survived it, but the sun was still high in the sky and the ones from the top floor were most likely the most exposed. She willed her exhausted body to move towards the wreckage, as she saw from the corner of her eye, firefighters and police officers assessing the scene.

Several police vans further down the way caught Sookie's attention. She noticed a couple of people in handcuffs being led towards them. She was hopeful that the authorities were dealing with the culprits of this attack.

Stepping over large pieces of concrete and twisted metal, Sookie started formulating a plan as to what she could do for those she found. Ideally, she needed stacks of blankets to cover the exposed vampires and she would need medical personnel to help her with the human survivors, if there were any. She looked around for help and noticed several humans shifting through the debris. At first, she thought they were rescue workers, but when she witnessed one raising a sharp piece of metal above his head, readying to drive it into what she presumed was a vampire, she realized they were Fellowship members, still trying to complete their mission.

She yelled for the police and for them to stop what they were planning on doing, but everyone was so far away and stunned from the explosion, that her shouts fell on deaf ears. She did the only thing she could think of. Shooting her 'spark' towards the would be assassin, she knocked the piece of metal out of his hand and him on his ass. The other member looked around wildly, freaked out by what he just witnessed.

"That's right. A lightning bolt stopped your friend. I would take that as a sign and turn yourself in, before the same happens to you," she mind spoke to him. She hadn't really thought about yelling for help that way, but using the members' belief that they were doing God's work against them, seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

Then, she started waving her hands at some of the firefighters for help. They only seemed to notice her or even care, because she was standing there in a lacey pink bra and denim jeans.

Two firefighters approached her. "Please help me find survivors. I was inside just before the explosion and I know there are many vampires and humans under here," she begged.

"Lady, we don't much care about the vampers, but we'll help with the humans, if you think you know where they are," an older looking guy answered.

"Well, it's attitude like that, that caused this crisis in the first place. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. It doesn't matter what is under this rubble! Your job is to save lives. I don't believe it says anywhere whether they need to be human or otherwise," she scolded him. Then she looked at the other firefighter. He was a Were for sure. "And, how do _you_ feel about helping me?" she asked pointedly.

He hung his head, not meeting her eyes, or those of his supervisor. "I'll help you, whomever we find," he said in almost a whisper. Then he took off his jacket and handed it to her. "If we are going to find anyone alive, we better get started. Where do you suggest first?"

For the next two hours, Sookie and her Were firefighter friend, pulled ten vampires and six humans from the wreckage personally. Using her telepathy, she located an additional five humans. She was mentally and physically exhausted, but continued to seek out survivors. It dawned on her as the sun started to lower in the sky that she had not seen Claudine or Jason anywhere around here. "Say, do you know what exactly caused the explosion?" Sookie asked her firefighter friend.

"They say there were several explosions at once and some down the street as well. A witness claimed they saw several moving vans parked around the back of the building, just before it happened. But, we were also alerted to a fire alarm inside the building before the largest explosion, so who knows. The police have arrested about twenty of those protestors. It seems they were most likely the culprits," he said.

Sookie didn't hear the rest of what he was saying, she was just thinking of Jason and poor Claudine. Did she not get to him in time? Was she caught in the blast as well? "Where were the trucks seen? Maybe we should go in that direction to see if there were any survivors," she suggested.

"I believe they were over there. I need to check in with my team leader, but if you want to head that way, I'll meet up with you in a few minutes," he said, pointing to an area she hadn't searched yet.

Climbing over chunks of concrete and twisted steel, she slowly made her way over in the direction he told her, all the while keeping a mental ear out, for any survivors. Just as she made it over by where the loading docks used to be, she saw movement. It was darker over there and she was covered in her blood and of those of some of the survivors. She wondered if any of the vampires might be waking now that it was getting dark, so she prepared herself to use her magic if necessary.

She felt a familiar brain pattern a few feet from her and starting digging through the debris. She lifted large chunks of drywall and wood, until she saw the signature blond locks of who was almost certainly her brother. He was moaning, but becoming fully conscious. "Jason!" she cried.

"Sis, is that you?" he moaned.

Sookie couldn't help it, she started to cry. "Jason!" she sighed again, falling to her knees beside him. "It's going to be OK. Help is coming," she reassured him.

"Did I do good, Sis? Did I kill all the vamps and free you?" he asked.

This made Sookie's heart jump into her throat. She would find a way to make that Reverend pay for brainwashing poor Jason into thinking she was in any danger. "Jason, I was never being held against my will. I'm…," she didn't know what she could say to him, to make him understand. "I'm helping them mainstream into society, Jason," she paused, to wipe some dried blood and grim from his brow. "You know how I was always an outcast in town? Well, I know exactly how they feel and so I'm helping them. It's not right to hate someone, just because they are different from you or me. You should know that better than anyone, Jason Stackhouse! Now come on, can you stand up?" she asked.

She stood to flag down a rescuer to bring over a stretcher. While she had her back turned, she heard some rustling behind her. When she looked back, she saw Andre pulling himself towards Jason, along the loose rumble. "Andre!" she gasped. He was injured and very hungry and he had his eyes set on Jason. "No!" she cried.

Just as he went to grab for Jason's arm, Jason managed to grab a piece of loose steel beam and swung his body around enough to bring it right down into Andre's chest, effectively sending him to his final death. "NO!" Sookie cried. She didn't want to see Jason killed, but she didn't want him to have blood on his hands either. She could have dealt with Andre, but she was too late.

"So, you think these things are harmless, Sookie? That one just tried to eat me and you want me to believe you can help them live among us? Come on! They are killers, unnatural, Satan's spawns. If we don't kill them, they'll kill us first and they'll enjoy doing it!" Jason spat, pulling himself up onto his knees.

"He was only trying to survive because you tried to blow him up!" Sookie said weakly. She wasn't truly sorry that Andre was dead. After all, he tried to take her away from Eric and use her for her telepathy.

Just then, some workers arrived, getting Jason to a stretcher and out to an awaiting ambulance. "Wait! Jason? Did you happen to see a really pretty blonde haired woman before you parked your van?" she had to know if Claudine was OK.

"Yeah. She distracted me, while I was pulling in. Probably saved my life, but I think she got caught up in the blast of my truck," Jason said remorsefully.

_Oh no! Not Claudine_, Sookie cried to herself. She would never forgive herself, if something happened to her cousin.

She continued to shift through the rubble, wondering if maybe she would come across her somewhere. Or maybe, she had popped away in time, Sookie could only hope.

The sun was about an hour away from officially setting, so she knew she had to hurry up and finish her search. She didn't want to be around when any injured vampires rose. As she started around what used to be the back of the building, she saw some movement, but didn't feel a brain signature, so she knew it must be a vampire and an old one at that, to be moving around already. She proceeded cautiously and flagged for some help, holding her hands up in a 'V' shape, to let them know it was a vampire or vampires, she had found. The rescuers had several Weres (unknowingly) on their team, so when anyone found a vampire, those were the ones, who came to help out. It wasn't that they could fight and win against a vampire, but they would fare better and heal quicker, if they found one who was aware and dangerous.

As she began to move some loose debris, she recognized the midnight colored hair. "Felipe! Is that you?" Sookie asked. She figured if she announced herself, perhaps he wouldn't attack.

"Meez Stekhuss?" Felipe croaked in response, "Is that you?"

"Yes! Yes, it's me. I have to know you won't hurt me, if I come over to help you. Are you in control or should I wait for help?" she asked.

"I…I won't bite you," he responded weakly. Sookie wasn't sure whether to believe him, but she couldn't imagine that someone would honestly take advantage of such a situation, so she began to lift the rest of the debris off, in such a way that he would be covered from any direct sun rays, left in the sky.

"It's still daylight, so I'm going to wait until the rescuers bring me a blanket, to cover you, OK? Are there any others with you?" she asked.

"Yes. Sandy my second, Victor and some of my guards, should all be around here somewhere. Be careful though, they are not as old as me and you smell too delicious. Are you injured, my dear?" he asked, genuinely concerned for her well-being.

"Only superficial. Nothing that won't heal in a couple of days," she answered, smiling at his kindness.

"Here they are, sir. I'm going to place a blanket over you and then they are going to lift you on a stretcher and take you to a secure location, OK? Trust them and do as they ask. They are here to help you," Sookie instructed, making sure he wouldn't take his anger or hunger out on them.

"OK," he responded feebly. Then she moved forward and threw back the final piece of debris, separating him from daylight and quickly threw the blanket over him. He was lucky that he at least still had clothes on.

"Ironic that I needed a human girl to rescue me," Felipe quipped as the Weres placed him on the stretcher and moved off.

"Send more guys, there is bound to be more over here. And guys? That's the new King of Louisiana, so be careful with him, OK?" Sookie ordered. She knew the Weres would understand what she meant. Not that she was especially fond of Felipe, but if anything were to happen to him right now, Louisiana would be ripe for the taking and who knew who the next tyrant could be.

She continued to pick her way through the wreckage and managed to locate Sandy, Victor and the guards, as Felipe said. They were all injured, but nothing a donor or a case of True Blood wouldn't fix up.

She was stumbling back towards the main roadway when her foot got stuck in a pocket of debris. Yanking and twisting herself, she realized that it wasn't exactly broken pieces of building, but a cold hand, holding onto her. When that realization hit her, she felt the bite. A vampire had apparently smelled her and grabbed on as she passed. "Help!" she cried out. "HELP! A vampire has me!"

Two Weres bounded to her side, but not before the vampire got a large amount of her blood. She felt dizzy and before she could catch herself, she dropped into the wreckage.

Several hours later, she woke up in an ambulance a block away from the warehouse where the vampires were being seen to. It was completely dark out, but she could feel the buzzing brains of Weres all around her…And one blank mind.

She immediately sat upright, panicked that whoever had tried to drain her was still close by.

"Shhh. Dear One, lay back down. You are safe," came Eric's voice. She focused on the face in front of her. It wasn't the beautiful face she had come to love, but a scorched, peeling, fleshy mess.

"Omigod! Eric! Are you OK?" she cried. She sat up again, much more slowly and reached out to touch his cheek.

"I will heal. A couple of days of rest and blood and I'll be right as rain. Do not worry," he smiled, a twisted smile. The skin around his lips was completely burned and it gave him a grotesque appearance, but Sookie didn't care…he was alive or undead!

"I'm so sorry I didn't get to you sooner, Eric. I shouldn't have run from you last night," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry for everything. Claudine explained it all to me – I never meant for anyone to get hurt last night. I've made such a mess of everything…And Claudine, do you know anything about her?" she asked, desperately.

"Your brother Jason has been arrested with as many of the group they could find and connect to the Fellowship. Niall informs me that Claudine has gone to the Summerland. I'm sorry Sookie," Eric said, brushing his hand across her face. "You saved a lot of people today. You should be proud. The King is saying that he is indebted to you and has issued a formal decree of protection over you. This is a big deal, Sookie," he remarked.

"Do you know who tried to drain me?" Sookie asked, trying to think of something other than Claudine.

"That scum, Bill Compton. He will pay for that! He knew it was you and he did it anyway!" Eric growled.

"What…what does that mean? Can he feel me and stuff, like you do? Did it break our bond, to have another vampire feed from me?" she asked in a panic. She didn't want any other vampire being able to feel her and even though she wasn't all that keen on the bond she shared with Eric, it was still something special, something sacred in her eyes and it kept them connected. In that moment, she just wanted to be back in their hotel room, cuddled up in naked bliss, like they were the night before the wedding.

"He'll be able to feel some of your emotions, be able to track you, if need be. But, only for a short time. The connection will fade. And, our bond – well, it's safe. Nothing can come even close to severing that, Lover. You are _mine_," he growled.

"How's Pam? Is she OK?" she asked, dismissing the possessive remark for now.

"She is fine. She is heading back to Shreveport, to see to business, while I tied up loose ends here. I think you should head back too. I've called Niall and he is supposed to be sending someone to escort you tomorrow, during the day," Eric explained. "I have arranged the Weres to drive you to a hotel for the night. You need to be somewhere safe, away from here, in case things get out of control. The older ones of us have taken on the responsibility of making sure there is order, until we can come up with a way to get everyone back to their proper home and state."

Just then, another explosion rocked the ambulance. Sookie screamed, while Eric grabbed her and held her tight to him. Shouting could be heard outside. Sookie heard the words, 'Levee' and 'water rising quickly'.

"Oh no, Eric! I think they've bombed the levee system! They are trying to drown New Orleans! How could they do that?!" she bellowed. "They are truly monsters!"

Next, they felt a large burst of energy and a glowing light appear outside the bus doors. Eric pushed Sookie behind him and took a defensive stance. The doors burst open and there stood Niall.

"Away from her, vampire," Niall ordered. Eric growled in response.

"Your great-granddaughter is my woman, mine and mine alone. You will not take her from me."

Niall glared at Eric and then softly said, "You need to rest and heal. While you are doing that, I will see to her safety. Once everything is in order, if she wants, I'll return her to you. But, not before then."

With a wave of his hand, he and Sookie disappeared, leaving a very pissed off Viking sitting in the back of an ambulance, while the Crescent City filled with water and the lines of war were drawn between the FOTS and vampires.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh no! Niall has Sookie! What do you think will happen now?! Press the green button and keep me motivated while I travel this week! Thanks. xox


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** I apologize for the long delay in updating. I contracted a severe respiratory infection while traveling a couple of weeks ago. Coupled with some major family drama, I have not been able to even think about writing. I hope this chapter doesn't reflect it too badly. Thanks to all who have PM'd, reviewed, alerted and even just read. I appreciate each and every one of you! *Viking Hugs*

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it is not mine. Characters belong to CH.

* * *

Watching Sookie vanish before his eyes, set his beast loose. Eric tore apart the ambulance he had just been sitting in with Sookie, before Niall stole her away. Granted, she had been harmed as the result of saving him and many of his kind, it was the humans' fault this time and they would feel his wrath. But first, he needed to form a plan and get back to the warehouse. They would all need to find new shelter, now that the levees had been breached.

Destroying something so vital to the city just proved how ignorant the Fellowship followers really were. Vampires were dead and therefore had no need to breathe; they just didn't want to be floating around in the soon to be contaminated waters while they were trying to heal. Perhaps, this act of terrorism would actually work in the vampires' favor. Surely, some had engineering experience and not having to breathe, meant they could be underwater indefinitely to repair whatever damage existed. Yes, the vampires would rescue the city from its drowning state and in turn, they would be seen as heroes to the people of New Orleans and maybe even the country.

Eric's first order of business was to get that worthless piece of undead flesh, Bill Compton to do some investigating for him. "Bill, now that you've had Sookie's blood…which will be dealt with later…and also because of your arrangement with Niall, I need you to track her for me. See if you can establish contact with Niall and get Sookie back to me, immediately."

"What do you mean, get Sookie back? She is gone?" Bill said, hopeful that perhaps the beautiful telepath had come to her senses where it concerned the Viking.

"Niall has taken her," Eric hissed, knowing what Bill was thinking. "I need you to find where he has her and bring her back, unharmed."

"Why would Niall take Sookie and why don't you go after her yourself?" Bill asked, not realizing the danger he was in, at the moment.

Eric snapped and picked Bill up by the throat, bringing him to eye level. "The _why_ is none of your business. _I _cannot go, because I am Sheriff and it would be considered an act of aggression on my part to go after the Fairy. My actions could very well start another fairy war. Besides, we have a new King, supposedly, in our midst. We all need to be extra careful around Felipe, until his status is resolved and officially announced, by the Council. Would you want him to know of your or Sookie's connection to the Prince of Fairies?" he hissed.

"I understand and no, I don't want anything to do with Felipe, if I don't have to. I'm sure he had something to do with Sophie-Anne's death, even if it wasn't carried out by him directly," Bill choked out. "Put me down and I'll get right on it."

Eric tossed Bill towards a set of doors. Bill landed with a splash in the now ankle deep water. It was raising fast, so swift action needed to be taken. Turning his attention toward more pressing matters, Eric went to discuss his ideas for repairs and moving the injured to another safe location, with the other elder vampires, who were self-appointed to direct this crisis.

About an hour later, Bill contacted Eric. "I am on my way to Arkansas. It appears Niall used the Fae Realm to travel more quickly with Sookie, but through some contacts and following her scent, I am confident I will find her there. I'll be in touch, as soon as I know more."

In the midst of evacuating the entire city, Eric paused to consider what Niall would want with Sookie and why he would choose to take her to Arkansas. He knew she would at least be safe with him, but that was the extent of his knowledge. The rest he could only guess at and none of it was good.

* * *

When Sookie heard her great-grandfather tell Eric that he would return her, if she wanted to after Eric healed, she wanted to protest and tell him to go back where he came from. But, with a wave of his hand, she was gone from Eric and the ambulance, before she could even open her mouth to speak. Niall had popped them several blocks away. Then he began whispering something in her ear, in a language she didn't understand, with it sounding more like mumbling than an actual language, to her. The next thing she knew was blackness.

Slowly rising from unconsciousness, Sookie tried to take in her surroundings and make sense of what just happened. Her brain was so foggy, she felt like she had gone on a bender and then added cold medicine to the mix. What startled her even more was that she couldn't feel Eric at all. It was as if their bond had been turned off or possibly completely severed.

She was laying on a bed, with plush, high thread count sheets, in a soft pastel pink. Gazing around the room, she realized everything was in some sort of some pastel color, like a little girls' room -- or maybe Pam's room. Thinking of Pam made her chest tighten. What if something had happened to Eric and Pam and that's why she could no longer feel the bond?

Whipping her legs around the edge of the bed, she sat up too quickly and felt her head spin. It felt like it was too heavy for her neck, while a persistent buzzing in her ears told her to slow down before she fell down and hurt herself.

The door opening to her room snapped her attention into focus. "Hello, child. I'm happy to see you are finally awake. Can I offer you some tea?" Niall asked softly, as he walked over to sit beside Sookie on the bed.

"No. I want you to bring me back to Eric. He needs my help!" Sookie cried.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but it is not safe for you right now and Eric has some important matters to attend to, namely healing and organizing against the Fellowship. You both will be much safer if you are here with me," he said softly, taking the time to stroke her back, attempting to ease her frustration and worry. "Besides, you are a credit to our family, killing my enemy the way you did. With Breandan dead and gone, your reason for protection is no longer valid. The only danger left at this point would be from the _vampires_ wanting to use you for your telepathy," Niall said thoughtfully.

"So you are saying that you no longer have a need of Eric's services and therefore there is no rush to hand me back over?" Sookie said, repressing a sudden wave of nausea.

"I understand you have come to have feelings for the Viking and you both have grown quite attached to each other. I must admit that I'm a bit jealous of this fact," Niall said, sheepishly. "I just want the same opportunity that Eric had, to get to know you better. You are my great-granddaughter and due to my son's own father 'issues', I was unable to be involved in your life and that of my grandchildren. As a result, I feel you have suffered and I want a chance to make your life a little easier…I suppose you could consider it my atonement for how your life has been shaped due to the heritage Fintan gave you," Niall explained cryptically.

He noticed several questions forming in Sookie's head, based on her facial expressions and he sensed she was getting upset, which was not what he wanted. He reached for her hands and gave them a slight squeeze, while kissing her gently on her forehead. Immediately all her muscles relaxed, as if his touch had some type of healing power. She let out a reflexive yawn.

"Why don't you lie down and rest some more and when you wake, we'll talk," he said, guiding her back to a laying position and tucking her under the covers. "I missed this part of my sons' growing up," he whispered, more to himself than to Sookie, then turned, and left.

* * *

_**One Week Later (Human World)**_

"Well?" Eric said expectantly, as he answered his phone.

"I've found a house that smells strongly of Sookie. It is as if she is there, but she is not. Oddly enough though, it appears to be an abandoned house. When I entered, all I found was rotten wood, peeling wallpaper and a large hole in the roof. The only clue of whom it may have belonged to, was a picture of a young black family on the wall. But, it looked to be from the nineteen twenties or thirties, so that wasn't helpful," Bill reported.

"More than likely, this house is a portal of some kind. Keep an eye on the house for any activity. If it is indeed a portal, you will see fairies coming and going from it. I want to know what and whom you see around the area. Send me photos. I'll be sending some Were guards to help during the day," Eric said, snapping his phone shut and then throwing it across the room, shattering it into tiny pieces.

Pam chose that moment to enter his office. "I take it Bill hasn't found her yet?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

Eric and Pam had been back to Shreveport for several days, with hardly a word spoken between them. Pam had heard about Niall stepping in to take Sookie and Eric's subsequent rage. At first, she was relieved that the troublesome telepath was out of their hair, but irritation quickly replaced relief. Eric was not himself and his work was suffering for it. And, his feeding habits had not changed. He refused to drink from another, fearing that what he could sense from the bond would be completely lost, if he did so.

He was obsessed with the bond, calling in favors and requesting special meetings with those who knew anything about the mystical tie. He wanted to know if he could use it to call her to him without hurting her, especially if she was in the fae realm. He was certain that she was either there with Niall or at least hidden by their magic, both options making it nearly impossible to find her or make contact with her. He had begged, literally begged Preston and even Claude, to tell them where she might be. Neither seemed to know or care to tell him where she was and if or when she might return.

"I'm sure that makes you quite happy, Pam. Even though, you wouldn't be standing here smirking, if it wasn't for her kindness and bravery. How quickly you forget that she sacrificed her own safety, to save our immortal asses," Eric growled.

Properly chastised, Pam bowed her head in a show of submission. "I came to tell you that the build-out has started at the strip mall. Fangtasia is projected to be opened within the month. We have a Were owned PR firm working on our marketing strategy. They would like to meet with us next week to discuss website design and some merchandising ideas," she said, changing the subject before he decided to take his frustration out on her.

"Also, Chow reports that the levee system repairs are coming along nicely and the city is drying out. The humans are just waiting on their government to get their shit together, to help those affected by the flooding. Something about insurance and social programs and red tape. The Council has put together some extensive publicity packages to get the word out about how nice and helpful vampires are, with not only our physical help, but also our financial assistance. They would like you to participate in some local TV appearances and print media. Some well-placed advertisements would fit in nicely with our grand opening. Our PR firm says it's all about image these days and they think your looks and charm will help with the 'sex sells' rule of thumb. I know you are sick of hearing me say so, but you need to start getting out there and being the lady killer you used to be – pun intended," Pam smirked, hoping that a little humor might bring Eric out of his melancholy.

Eric growled again. He was so distraught over Sookie's absence that he really had lost focus on everything he had going on around him. He needed to put that part temporarily out of his mind for now, until these other pressing matters were addressed and completed. "I know Pam and you are right. On top of everything else, there has been a meeting called, for all the Louisiana Sheriff's to attend, regarding Felipe's claim on the kingdom. He is supposed to make us an offer, with the terms being supervised by the Council's attorney, Catalaides. Apparently, because the wedding terms were already agreed upon and signed off on, he can legally take ownership, even though the wedding didn't actually occur. Everyone knows that the ceremony is just for show anyway, although the blood exchange would have made it binding for sure, it was not necessary with the contract those two had drawn up. The issue of Breandan and Felipe's connection needs to be resolved before I'll agree to anything, so this should be an interesting meeting," Eric said, looking up to find an actual smile on Pam's face.

She was happy that he agreed with her. The other stuff could be dealt with easily, but getting Eric back into vampire mode versus lovesick puppy mode had to come first. "Why don't we go find us some Supper? We can stop by the bar and see the progress with our own eyes and make sure Alcide's father isn't attempting to screw us over," Pam suggested, with a gleam in her eye.

* * *

_**8 hours after Sookie fell asleep**_

The smell of bacon and coffee stirred Sookie's conscious and she began the slow process of waking up. "Niall?" she called out hoarsely and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, dear. I'm here with breakfast. I thought you might enjoy some tastes from home," he said with a tentative smile. "I've heard that breakfast in bed is a treat for humans, so I thought I'd give it a try."

Sookie's heart warmed a little to the old fairy, even though there were many things she didn't understand or trust about him, she was willing to keep an open mind for now.

"That's really sweet of you. I've never really had true breakfast in bed before, just because. Once or twice Gran brought me toast or fruit when I had the stomach flu or a bad cold, but that's the extent of it," she reminisced, while moving to a sitting position with pillows stacked behind her for support.

Niall brought over a tray filled with all sorts of breakfast foods, juice and a small pot of coffee. "I wasn't sure what you preferred, so I had the cook make a little bit of everything. If you'd tell me what you normally eat, I can have it stocked for you while you are here," he suggested.

"That's really nice of you, but I'd really like to get back home soon. I was thinking that since Breandan is dead and I don't need fulltime protection anymore, that maybe I could go back to work at Merlotte's and maybe move back to my Gran's. It would be nice to get into a familiar routine again, without worrying about getting kidnapped, staked or possibly tortured," she commented.

"Just because my enemies are gone, does not mean there are not other dangers out there lurking, Sookie. You have proved yourself to many, that you are a valuable asset. Especially to the vampires. And, with Felipe de Castro taking over Louisiana, you can be sure you would not be left alone. I know about his attempt to kidnap you and how you were harmed. I do not want anything like that to happen again," Niall said, concerned. Sookie caught a look of guilt on Niall's face, before he masked it with his cheery smile.

"Did you know Felipe was going to try and kidnap me?" Sookie asked.

"No! No. Not at all. You can be sure that he would not be living today, if I had any idea he would have gone after you. In fact, I'm looking into how it came to be that he knew of your existence," Niall said.

"Well, that Sophie-Anne was pretty greedy and anxious to get her hands on me. Maybe she was advertising her acquisition of a personal telepath a little too prematurely and Felipe heard about it. I noticed that the supernatural world tends to gossip quite a bit," Sookie said, putting an idea out there to see if Niall would bite and give something away.

"Oh, no doubt, Sophie-Anne was involved one way or another," he said with a glint in his eye. "Her child, Andre had his hand in many a scheme. I wouldn't doubt his involvement either. He was the one who forced the bond on you and Eric was he not?" Niall asked.

Sookie found her throat run dry at the mention of Eric's name and forced herself to swallow the piece of toast she had been chewing. She nodded, unable to speak, tears forming in her eyes.

"What's wrong, child? Did I say something to upset….Oh, the Viking. You are missing him still?" he asked, rubbing his hand on her back again in a soothing gesture. Again, Sookie just nodded, trying to blink away her tears without success. "Let's change the subject then. Why don't you freshen up and when you are done, you can join me in the library. Are you a chess player by any chance?"

Niall proceeded to show her the amenities of her room, including attached bath and walk-in closet, full of clothes that of course were just her size. He explained that Claudine had filled him in on little details concerning some of her preferences. The mention of Claudine made her even more sad and she began to cry in earnest. So much loss seemed to surround her short life; she wasn't sure how much more she could endure.

Niall decided that what she needed was more rest. He again kissed her forehead, before removing her tray and tucking her back under the covers. "Rest some more dear, we can visit later."

When Sookie woke it again, she felt like it had been days, perhaps weeks, since she had been out of bed. She rose, washed and dressed, ready to face the day and Niall. There were many questions she wanted answers to and was determined to get them.

She left her room and wandered down a hallway that led to a circular foyer area, complete with marble floors and a giant chandelier. There was a design in the floor, made of varying shades of the same marble and what looked like gold. The shape was similar to that of a Celtic knot. She remembered that Claudine had told her that the fae were of Irish descent, at least the older ones, so it made sense to her to see the familiar symbol. She continued out of the foyer and into another hallway that led to a series of rooms. Some of the doors were open and revealed bedrooms or offices. One looked like a large meeting room. At the end of the hall was a huge set of double-doors. She tried the handle and it opened with some effort.

It was as if she was opening a bank vault, but instead of money and gold being inside, it was a room filled from floor to ceiling with books. She took in a startled breath and realized this was the library she had seen with Gran in her first 'dream', after she had been staked. She walked around until she came to stand in front of the fireplace that held the painting of the battle she now knew as the last Fairy-Vampire war -- the one in which Niall used Eric's cleverness and skill with the sword, to win his position as the reigning prince.

She stood there, admiring the beauty of the scene. It made her heart ache for Eric. His body so perfect in its shape and design and his bravery and loyalty were beyond anything she could understand. Then she remembered what was behind the painting. She wondered if Niall was down there now. She spun around the room quickly, to see if anyone else was there before settling back in front of the painting. If she went through that hidden door and Niall was there, he would wonder how she came to find him. He would more than likely be angry and maybe even try to hurt her. But, if he wasn't, perhaps she could speak with the imprisoned vampire and get some answers from him – possibly even help him escape – although letting loose a hungry vampire in a house that was presumably filled with fairies, might not be such a grand idea.

Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to go for it. She reached out and pressed the right side of the enormous gilded frame, like the way she remembered Niall doing. The painting silently rotated inward, revealing the hidden doorway. She took one last look around her, before stepping through and making her way down the hallway to the set of huge double-doors, not unlike those at the entrance of the library. She carefully cracked open one of the doors and squeezed through, checking again to make sure she wasn't being followed, before proceeding down the narrow ramp that led into the deep basement. She followed it as she remembered, finding the oddly illuminated path to the room with the stone table in the middle.

She cast a curious glance around the room, wondering what else Niall did down here besides drinking the blood of a vampire. She walked over to the right side of the room, where there was a desk with tablets and a stack of old leather bound books with gold-leafed edges. She glanced at the tablet to see if anything had been written, but to her disappointment, whatever was written on there was in a language she had never seen before.

A small thumping noise snapped her attention into focus and she glanced around the room. She recognized the door that contained the trapped vampire and walked over to it, saying a silent prayer that she wouldn't be harmed for doing what she was about to do. Then, she yanked open the door, while taking in a quick, deep breath and holding it.

"Helllllo?" croaked the familiar voice.

She let out her breath and focused on the dark chamber. "Who are you?" she whispered.

"Come closer and I'll tell you," the voice whispered back.

"I know you are a vampire, so nice try, but no. Are there handles on that thing? I can't see inside enough to pull you out," she answered.

"Grab my hand. This thing has wheels," he replied, his voice cracking a few times.

Sookie tentatively stuck out her hands and found his cool ones encased in silver. The stench of burnt flesh hung in the tiny room, making it nearly unbearable as she grabbed on and pulled gently. The makeshift vertical gurney slowly rolled out into the open room.

"Why is Niall keeping you like this?" she asked, barely able to hold back the tears pooling in her eyes.

"Because I'm as old as dirt and that makes my blood very powerful. Why do you smell so strongly of…vampire and why aren't you scared of me, little fae?" the vampire asked.

"I'm not fae…well, only a little bit any way. I am blood bound to a vampire, Eric Northman. Do you know him?" Sookie asked.

"Big, badass Viking Norseman? You cannot be telling the truth. There is no way the vampire I knew who went by those names would bond himself to a mostly human girl, no matter how skilled in bed she was. Let me have a closer smell," he said.

Trusting she could disable the vampire if he tried anything, she brought her wrist to his nose. He took a deep inhale, closing his eyes as if he were enjoying the smell of a beautiful rose and trying to commit its scent to memory. Maybe he was, for all she knew.

His eyes snapped open and a slow, fangy smile stretch his already thin lips. "You have the most delicious smell, even with the mixture of vampire. It almost enhances the uniqueness of it. Who are you?" he said, looking deep into her eyes, trying his best in his weakened state to glamour her.

"That doesn't work on me, buddy, so just stop. I'm Niall's great-granddaughter and I'm a telepath, so just watch yourself. Tell me, why would Niall want to drink your old, powerful vampire blood?" she asked, giving him the benefit of the doubt, since he had been locked up like Hannibal Lecter for who knows how long.

"How do you know that he drinks my blood? Is it that common of knowledge that Niall keeps vampires in his basement?" he chortled.

"It's none of your concern how I know this information or how I even found you. I'm the one asking questions and if you don't answer, you are going straight back in that closet," Sookie answered sharply.

The vampire hesitated, measuring Sookie's demeanor and spirit. "Very well. He drinks my blood for the same reason you most likely willingly bound yourself to the Viking -- the power of it. He can't resist how it makes him feel. It makes him stronger, his magic more powerful and helps his longevity. Why we didn't think about that the night of the celebration, I'll never know," he said cryptically.

"So, you are telling me that the Prince of the Fae, my great-grandfather is addicted to vamp blood? And, he drinks it from a captive vampire? Why? There are so many out there now and he seems to know them all -- why would he go through the trouble to keep you locked away and drink specifically from you, when surely he could get blood from a variety of sources. What makes you think that I willingly bound myself to Eric, anyway?" Sookie snapped.

"So, you know of vampires? It is common knowledge now?" he asked.

"Yes. A couple of weeks ago, there was a 'Great Revelation' they are calling it. The vamps came out of the coffin. Niall's company invented synthetic blood and the vamp's have told the world that they can drink that stuff to sustain their dietary needs and they are no longer a risk to humans. I figured you were in the know, since y'all are so 'close'," she said sarcastically.

"We don't exactly chat," he retorted. "It doesn't surprise me that he has gone this far with his madness. He is addicted to the benefits of drinking blood. And, he is obsessed with his mortality. Has been since the end of the war. Drinking from me keeps him as close to immortal as possible for a fairy. As for why me specifically? That is his story to tell, not mine. But, let's say it has to do with a lovely human woman, not unlike yourself and who oddly enough was a telepath as well – Einin was her name, if memory serves. As for your bond, why else would you enslave yourself to a vampire as domineering as your Norseman, if it wasn't power and immortality you were seeking. By the smell of you, you will never be free of him, no matter how long you are apart. You must have had his blood many times, which is hard for me to understand, unless you bewitched him in some manner," he said accusatorily. "Can you read our minds? Is that your secret?" he spat in a snarl.

"I…I can't read vampire minds. You are all blanks to me. What do you mean, I'll never be free of Eric? And, that I'm enslaved to him? You must be mad, being locked away in here for so long," she defended his behavior.

"Do you honestly not understand what you've gotten yourself into?" he laughed uproariously. "Oh, how rich! Brigant's great-granddaughter has given her life over to a vampire and she doesn't even realize it! How did you come to know him? Did Niall introduce you two? Yes, I bet he did. Another Einin by his side, this time for eternity, as long as the Viking plays nice. Priceless!" he laughed again.

"Stop talking in riddles! I don't understand anything you are saying! You think Niall set me up with Eric so that I would become bound to him and therefore somehow become magically immortal? How does that work and what do you mean about another Einin?" Sookie was shaking, she was so upset.

"My throat is parched and you smell so delicious. If you give me a sip of your blood, I'll tell you everything I know," he bargained. "I don't even have to bite you. You can use any of the instruments around here to make a cut or you can even pierce your finger on my fang tip," he suggested.

"Won't that give you some power over me, to have my blood?" she asked.

"The amount I will take only gives me the ability to sense your overall mood, maybe track you if you were very close. But, as you can see, my tracking days are over and what do you care if I feel your sadness, your anger, your despair. They are all feelings I already have more strongly than you can imagine, my dear," he said honestly.

Sookie thought about it for a minute before sliding her finger over by his fang. She knew she could incapacitate him, if he tried anything. Pressing her finger up against his fang, she felt the point pierce the meaty skin of the pad. She took it back quickly and squeezed, aiding the blood to pool. "Here," she said, putting her finger back to his mouth. He took it between his lips and sucked on it gently, even though he must have been ravenous.

The process was not sexual like it was with Eric. It was as if she had pricked her finger on something and he was merely cleaning her wound. After a minute of sucking, he let go of her finger.

"Simply divine. Maybe you didn't have to work too hard at convincing the Norseman after all. If I could have your blood like that for eternity, I would have considered the inconvenience of a bond as well," he commented, licking his lips to collect any remnants of her blood he might have missed.

"So, now that I've given you some blood, are you going to start making sense?" she demanded.

"Yes. I am a man of my word. What do you want to know first?" he answered.

"Why is Niall so obsessed with immortality? And why do you think that I am going to be immortal now that I'm bonded to Eric?" she asked.

"The question of Niall is simple. Fairies live to be old, but they age and eventually die. They are easily killed by simple tools, common human substances and by each other. Because of their magic and fighting ability, it is harder for others to kill them, but they can be killed, nonetheless. Once he tasted vampire blood and learned of its effects, then he felt he found a solution to one of the fairies problems. Specifically, his problem. The possibility of living forever is tantalizing even for the best of us. That's why there are vampires. But, he would never become a vampire himself. It would make him a cannibal of his own kind, he would have to give up his position as Prince and he would be condemned to live in the human, mortal world for eternity. Besides, who knows if a fairy could even truly be turned. I don't think anyone has ever tried. We don't have the restraint," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

"One of the fairies problems – there are more?" Sookie asked.

"Once humans started mining for iron and creating weapons and simple machinery, the fairies seemed to become vulnerable to many things. It was rumored that their women were all but infertile. That's why Niall mated with Einin – well that and because she was so beautiful and 'blessed'," he said wistfully.

"He mated with a human to increase his bloodlines' survival probably. And, as science became more advanced, he invested in companies that could do his work for him. He used your vamp blood and those of other trusted allies, to do research and find out what other benefits your blood may have for the fae and even humans. I guess he supposed that if you were immortal anyway and natural predators of most anything with blood, you might as well contribute to society in some way. Pretty damned autocratic if you ask me," she said, trying to reason everything aloud.

The vampire nodded as much as he could, agreeing with her assessment. "As for you and your link to the Viking, I can only tell you what I know of blood bonds between humans and vampires – and why Niall may have wanted that for you. Traditionally, vampires formed these bonds as a way to have a human slave while they were in hiding. The slave did the biding of the vampire, usually errands and fishing expeditions…food service, if you will…during daylight hours or dealings with humans, in general. Once you are bonded to a vampire, he can call his blood inside you and command you to do his will, as a maker to a child. You know what I speak of?" he asked.

Sookie nodded and he continued. "These bonds could be broken, by wearing off eventually, if the vampire only gave out the blood needed to form it in the beginning. However, if you continue to drink his blood after the bond has formed, a deeper connection is formed and it is rumored that the human could actually be turned without ever having to be drained. They become sort of a hybrid vampire. Most humans would become mad mentally before that threshold was reached, at which point they would be disposed of. But in your case, it seems as though you've thrived on your master's blood, have you not?" he asked.

Again, Sookie nodded, her mind reeling with anger. "Eric is not my master. I am not some mindless slave. I have never done his bidding. I cannot even be glamoured. What makes you think he can exert any control over me with his blood?" she insisted.

"Because that is the way of the bond. He may have never chosen to use that power or maybe he never did it in such a way that you recognized it for what it was, but I guarantee it is possible. Think girl, wasn't there ever a time when you were feeling one way, say perhaps angry at Eric, as you call him, for something and then suddenly everything was better -- you were no longer angry with him, but maybe wanted to fuck him instead?" he asked.

Sookie nodded, tears pooling in her eyes again. She bit her bottom lip, thinking back to the times she had indeed felt his influence over her emotions. But, she had always called him on it and he seemed to stop. Was it possible that he had not really stopped? That everything she felt for him was all a lie?

"You thought he loved you and was just treating you nicely, didn't you sweetheart? Yes, this is a trick we often used with our slaves. It creates unwavering loyalty. That in and of itself is quite the bond. But, it is all just parlor tricks, I'm afraid," he said honestly.

Sookie started to cry harder now. "Why would Niall want me to be tricked like that?" she gasped, feeling her heart break into a million little pieces.

"Because you look very similar to his beloved Einin, his human lover. She bore him twins, if I remember correctly. It's not so much your hair color or your eyes, but it's the beauty, the simplicity of your appearance and the fact that you are a telepath. How that bastard is lucky enough to find another after all these years, confounds me," he said, more to himself than to Sookie. "If he got you to drink enough vampire blood from an old one, such as the Viking, than you had the chance of staying young and becoming stronger in your ability. Maybe he was hoping you would be able to eventually read vampires -- who knows. He and Eric have had some sort of tie for many lifetimes now. It makes sense that he would trust the Viking with a treasure such as yourself and even encourage you two to mate, in hopes of forming a bond or at least exchanging enough blood, to test out his theories."

"So, how does being bonded make me immortal?" Sookie asked.

"Eric could simply command you to live, even if you were gravely hurt. As long as his blood is in you, he can command you to do anything," he answered.

"Even die?" she asked breathlessly.

"No one has ever tried, because if you die, he may die too. These types of bonds are very rare because of the risk to the vampire. I, myself am bound to Niall like this but, not by choice. I would never command him to do anything, for fear I would lose my life in the process," he explained.

"So you would rather live like this, then die?" Sookie asked.

"Yes. I am immortal because I chose it. I'll guard my life with everything I have," he said seriously.

She was overwhelmed and distraught over all this information. She had suspected Niall's influence over her and Eric's relationship, even going so far as confronting him about it all, after being staked. He dismissed her theories and behavior and sent her on a wild goose chase with Claudine, to find out more about Niall. All along, he was probably just using the bond to will her to do whatever he wanted her to. He probably even influenced her growing dislike and mistrust for her own great-grandfather.

"Einin was my great-grandmother. Fintan was my grandfather. That's why you see a resemblance. I'm sure of it. And, that explains where my telepathy came from. It explains why Niall said that he was trying to atone for the heritage Fintan gave me and not for what he gave me. It was Fintan's mother who gave me my curse and led me to this point in my life! Ohmigod! I bet he has taken me away from Eric now, because I have had enough of his blood that I'm through aging, but I'm far enough away that his influence has no effect on me," Sookie reasoned aloud.

"Niall took you away from your master – brought you here, to a place where no vampire has any power – so that he could be your new master without having to worry about you becoming ill or aging in the way a normal human would," the mysterious vampire said, filling in the blanks for both of them.

"So, I'm stuck here, unless I want to go back to being a vamp-bot for Eric. Is that it?" she asked, near panic.

"I am unsure what a vamp-bot is, but if I understand your logic, it is that you can either live here as Niall wants or you can attempt to go back to the human world and live under the Viking's rule. Being that you are Niall's great-granddaughter, I can only assume he would treat you quite well. I can't answer for Eric, since I haven't seen him in centuries, but I doubt he would be too terrible of a master either. He always had a way with females. If it's love you seek from him, however, you will never find it, for we are hard-wired to never feel that particular emotion again. It makes us too human, too weak for survival and among our kind, it truly is survival of the fittest."

Sookie's world came crashing down around her, with his words. "I'm sorry. I need to go. I can't hear any more of this right now. I'll try and come back…try and figure a way for you to get out of here. But, right now, I need to be alone," she said hysterically. She wheeled him back into his 'hidey-hole' quickly and put everything to rights, before scurrying back the way she came. When she reached the back of the canvas painting, she panicked. When she was there with Gran, they had sort of 'poofed' out of the place, but now there was no poofing.

She ran her hands all along the edges of where she thought the secret doorframe was, until she caught something with her nails. Pressing the spot firmly, she felt something give way right before the door swung inwards, towards her. She quickly jumped out of the way, before running out through the opening and back into the library. With a cursory glance around the huge room, she made sure no one was lurking and then ensured the secret passage was once again concealed. Once her tracks were covered, she made a hasty retreat to her bedroom, where she cried herself to sleep.

Again, it felt like days or possibly weeks when she rose. She went through the same process of showering and dressing before venturing out of her room. It occurred to her that she hadn't eaten anything since that time Niall brought her breakfast in bed, so she took a different path through the foyer, in search of the kitchen. Wondering where everyone was, she poked her head into several rooms. She hadn't heard a noise or seen anyone other than Niall and the captive vampire since she arrived, making her a bit uncomfortable.

Eventually, she discovered the kitchen and found that someone had left out a spread for breakfast. There was a carafe of coffee and different juices. It reminded her of what some called a continental breakfast. While she was enjoying the caffeine rush and the jolt of energy from the food, she started thinking over everything she had learned from the mysterious vampire captive.

He had told her that Niall became addicted to the power he received from drinking vampire blood and that it helped slow the aging process. This started his obsession with immortality. Apparently, since the vampire captive was 'older than dirt', and Eric was over a thousand years old, that the older the vampire, the stronger the effects their blood had on the person who drank it. She bet that was why Niall was so interested in Bill's little database project – so he could track down all the old ones and their children. And, probably why he encouraged or downright masterminded the Great Revelation.

The mystery vamp also alluded to the fact that he was being held captive due to something that happened between the two men and Einin, her great-grandmother. She was excited to learn that she too was a telepath. It seemed her curse was hereditary after all. And, if Fintan had more children, than perhaps there were others out there like her. She would be interested in finding them and at least warning them about the dangers of the Supe community, especially vampires.

Thinking of the dangers of vampires, reminded her of their conversation regarding the bond and Eric. Her heart was broken. How could she have been so naïve to think that a thousand year-old vampire would fall in love with her? What was more upsetting was that it appeared she was linked to him for as long as she lived and that he could compel her to do things, like some sort of pet, just by manipulating the blood in her body. _How many times had he already done that_, she wondered to herself. Why would he want to link himself to her for such a long period of time? Was he in on some scheme with Niall, to increase her own life-span in order to fully utilize her telepathy and her many other little quirks? She would believe that if it wasn't for the fact that Niall seemed genuinely surprised by her telepathy, when they first met. It seemed he had only known about her spark, the one thing she was not aware of until after she drank Eric's blood for the first time.

While she was in such deep thought, she didn't hear the light footsteps of someone entering the kitchen. "Child," Niall said softly, so not to startle her. He could tell that she was in some sort of meditative trance.

Sookie jumped at his voice. "Oh! Niall! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she cried out.

"I'm sorry, dear. I tried to make some noise as I entered, but you were a million miles away. Where were you just now?" he asked out of curiosity.

"I'm not sure you want to know," she said grimly.

"I always want to know what you are thinking," he replied honestly.

"Really? Do you _really_ want to know what I'm thinking or are you just being polite?" she countered.

"I honestly want to know what has you so bothered that you've spent weeks sleeping away your troubles," he said.

"What?! Weeks? What do you mean by weeks?" she screeched.

"Well, time here doesn't really exist. It is more of a human creation, so what may seem like a few hours to you here, may indeed be more like a week in the human world. That's why we fairies tend to lose track of time so easily. But, there is no need to worry yourself, we have all the 'time' we need here," he said gently, trying to soothe her concerns.

"Yeah, well it's not like I have much left back home to worry about anyway," she sighed, defeated by all the strange twists of events.

"Tell me, what has you so blue?" Niall asked, coming to sit down beside her.

"Other than that I'm blood bound to a vampire for the rest of my life, madly in love with him and all he cares about is a fuck and feed?" she said, bursting into tears.

"Now, now child. Did he say these things to you? If so, I'll kill him myself. Then, there will be no blood bond to worry about," he said, rubbing his hand on her back to settle her down.

"No," she hiccupped, "he didn't. I…," she hesitated, unsure of how to tell him what she had learned about their bond. "I'm only assuming based on what I've learned about the nature of the bond and about vampires in general. Are they really incapable of love, Niall?"

Niall was deliberately trying to stay neutral on this topic. He was fond of the Viking and didn't want to hurt him or his great-granddaughter, but he wanted uninterrupted time with her for now. He knew it was selfish and he was fine with that. "I think all things are capable of love. It's how they come about those feelings that is important."

Wiping her tear stained face with the back of her hand, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Most of us have a way with humans. I guess you could say it's a built-in ability for the survival of our kind, to be able to attract lovers. Some of us are physically beautiful, others of us have a great personality and still others have other gifts, such as their voice or their touch. You, my child, seem to be able to reach into their minds and make them love you with just a simple look. It is as if you have taken all the individual attractions of our race and wrapped it up in a simple look. Haven't you noticed that everyone around you seems to just fall all over themselves for you?" he smiled.

"No. In fact, the people in my town went out of their way to be mean to me most of my life," Sookie said resentfully.

"How about Supes? Haven't you found that the supernaturals you have come in contact with, especially males, seem to be very friendly with you?" Niall asked.

She thought about it for a minute, before replying, "Yeah, I guess so. So that is just another 'skill' I have? To make people fall in love with me? And, you are saying that Eric may love me, but it is only because of my ability and not because of any true feelings?"

Niall nodded, "I am saying that it is important to know the reason why the feelings are there. It is only fair to both of you. You may feel what you do, because of the bond, for having his blood and he may feel what he does, because of the nature of what you are."

Sookie started crying in earnest again. "Why did you even set me up with him, if you knew this would happen?" She was looking to blame someone – anyone for her heartbreak at this point.

"The vampire is the best at being loyal, keeping secrets and keeping precious things safe. I knew I could trust him. I also had a sneaking suspicion that you would be attracted to each other. And, I hoped that you would share blood. I didn't anticipate that you'd form a bond, especially so early on, but knowing what I know about vampire blood, I have to be honest and say that I was definitely hopeful. I was just as surprised as anyone, when I found out the circumstances of your bonding. Eric willingly put himself in that position, in order to save you from Andre. That even goes beyond my expectations for his loyalty," Niall said.

"So, why do you think Eric did put himself in that position? You were hopeful I would bond myself to him for what reason? Because of the fact that vampire blood is like the best drug ever? That you can feel invincible, see more clearly, hear more clearly and have more energy than when you were five years old?" Sookie said, not wanting to give anything away about what she knew about him.

Niall laughed, "I do love your use of language. Yes, indeed, all of those things and more." Then he sighed, resigned to go down the road he didn't really want to go down, just yet.

"I am unsure of the Vampire's true reasoning for his decision. Maybe, he doesn't even know. As for my hopes…well, I need to explain a few things first. As you know, I have a company that's sole purpose is to research and invent new things for both humans and fairies – and some other supernatural creatures too. Being a leader over an entire race is very stressful. I have been given the task to oversee all aspects of life for us. Every problem that is the Faes' problem, becomes my personal problem. That's how the trouble with Breandan started. I took a controversial step towards ensuring the survival of our species, as our numbers continued to decrease and he and his followers didn't like it. I have used my connections to do things that others would surely want to kill me for, but they are decisions I felt I needed to make in order to keep moving forward as the leader. Strong leaders have to make tough decisions and sometimes those judgment calls are unpopular, but it is not about being well liked, it is about getting results," he explained.

"So, are you saying that you've used vampires in order to help the Fae survive?" Sookie asked.

Impressed that she was able to connect things so quickly, Niall couldn't help but respond honestly, "Yes, dear. That's exactly what I'm saying. It didn't start out as noble as it sounds, however. The first time I had vampire blood, I was smitten with its effects. It made me stronger, more powerful and it seemed to take away years off my physical appearance. I became obsessed with the idea that maybe I had discovered the solution to the Fae's mortality. I always thought it was unfair that we are so powerful, such a mighty creation, yet we die, while those vile creatures of the night, live on for eternity, if they are lucky enough. But, as my role as the Fae leader grew, I realized that there was real potential for us to coexist, to feed off one another to an extent and be mutually beneficial. It is amazing what vampire blood can do for many and I'm happy with what has been done so far. I'm sure if word got out though, not everyone would be as delighted," Niall said sincerely.

"So, you were responsible for the vamps coming out, weren't you? You needed them out, so that you could track them for their blood," Sookie declared.

Niall's eyes lit up, as if being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "You must never say these things aloud to another, Sookie. But, I feel compelled to answer you honestly. Yes, I was behind their reveal, but it wasn't just to track their blood. There are many political implications behind the move and again, it was a mutually beneficial decision to have them outed…or else they would have never agreed to it. Vampires never do anything unless it benefits them in some way. You must understand, their un-lives, have been very hard – living in constant darkness and I do not mean just the lack of sunlight. They have had to hide for so long and it has made them very dangerous creatures. Being out will help enlighten them, as well as help my own cause. It is a win-win," he explained the best he could.

"So how do I fit into all of this? What was my role in everything and me having Eric's blood?" Sookie asked.

Niall thought about his answer carefully before responding. "The minute our spy in Breandan's camp told us of you and your cousin Hadley having the 'spark', I wanted to meet you. It is very rare that a human with so little fae in them would exhibit the signs. I have a hunch that is why Fintan forbid me from contacting your family. Because Breandan knew of you then too, it was only a matter of time before he found you and used you against me…or worse. You cannot imagine how happy I was to learn that Fintan had the foresight in relocating the Viking to your area. Once I found out as much as I could about you, without interfering with your life or causing too much attention, I arranged for your protection. Unfortunately, for Hadley, she had already found herself immersed with the Queen, so I could not nor needed to provide her any further protection. Or so I thought. I find myself wondering how far reaching Breandan's plan was, because Hadley's death was so sudden and obviously meant to hurt someone. My initial thought was that Andre was behind it, but I'm not sure he would risk hurting Sophie-Anne so, unless he under-estimated her attachment to Hadley. My hunch is that Breandan was behind the original idea and probably through some bribe, Andre agreed to arrange an unfortunate accident.

"Anyway, I digress. Once I knew Hadley was secure, my focus was on you. I wanted you under the Vampire's guard, so that he could protect you and help you with your spark. I knew from my own research that ingesting vampire blood would bring about the catalyst needed to expose any magics you may have possessed. The night we met, changed everything, though. I saw firsthand how important you would be. You had me in your thrall the minute I laid eyes on you. I was in love!" he laughed, thinking back to their meeting. "Not in a lover's way of course, but I felt the overwhelming desire to do anything in my power to ensure your survival. Then, I saw your exhibition of power, as you defended the Viking for putting you in harm's way and lastly learning of your telepathy. You were my Einin reincarnate!" he smiled wistfully.

"I left you with the Viking, in hopes you would mate. You needed a strong tie to him in order to progress your abilities. Then, I approved Preston and Claudine's guidance. They kept me informed of your progress and your growing strength in ability. What you probably don't realize is that your telepathy has given you great insight into the mind. From what we've all been able to gather, you have the gift of judging one's soul. It is a rare talent that allows you to see the true intent of a person, with just a look. This is how you know right away whether you can trust them, if you like them and feel comfortable with them. In turn, this eases their mind about you and causes the reaction of wanting to protect you, the feeling of love, because you can see them for who they truly are. It appears to work with any Supe, but not humans, surprisingly. Even your defense ability to gather the emotional charge of the atmosphere is related to your telepathy. You sense their true intentions and turn it against your enemy. I'm sure it was what gave you the strength to defeat Breandan. You cannot imagine how desirable this makes you, Sookie. You need to be protected at all costs, for everyone will want to use you for your abilities, given the opportunity. Even the Great Pythoness has expressed interest in you. She is a mere seer, but with you, you both could lead all races into a peaceful coexistence," Niall said proudly.

"So, let me get this straight. You wanted me to have Eric's blood, so that I could grow my spark and expand my 'powers' or gifts. But now that I have, you are afraid of me getting taken advantage of? Niall, if you had just left me alone, then none of this would have happened!!" Sookie exclaimed.

"If I had left you alone, Breandan would have had his way with you or worse. This was the best plan," he defended.

Sookie shook her head in dismay. "So, who is Einin? Is that my great-grandmother? Leading all races into a peaceful coexistence sounds wonderful! Why wouldn't you want me to do that?" Sookie asked. She already knew who Einin was, but she wanted to hear it from Niall and she was curious as to why he wouldn't want her to help cultivate peace.

"Einin was my true love, she was the mother of my half-human children, she was your great-grandmother and she was a telepath. I fell madly in love with her, the minute I found her in the woods that fateful day. I was so consumed by my affections that I didn't consider the risk I was putting her in. Once she had my children, twins, Fintan and Dermot, my enemies targeted her. Her connection to me was what ultimately led her to her death," he answered sadly. "As for why I wouldn't put you in the position that the Pythoness wants – It is my belief that the worlds will never attain a true utopia. In all the universe there is a balance between good and evil, light and dark. If you were to attempt to remove all the dark or evil, there would be no balance left and the worlds could easily slide one way or the other – all good or all evil. It's too risky. And selfishly, I do not want to put you in harm's way. You are safer here with me. Call it high-handed, autocratic, tyrannical, whatever you may, but I love you and I will do what I can to keep you safe," he said before pulling her in for a tight embrace.

Sookie and Niall spent the next several days or months, in human time, getting to know one another, exploring her talents and honing her fighting skills, in case there ever was a need for them. She often thought about Eric and what he was doing, but it would quickly send her into a foul mood, so she tried to put her questions and longing aside.

"Niall, did you make it so I would fall in love with Eric?" she asked one day.

"No, my dear. You did that all on your own. Perhaps you saw something in his soul that made it so or it could have been because of his blood. One of its side affects is that you feel a great attraction to them. Why do you ask?" Niall wondered.

"The minute I saw Eric, I felt a pull towards him. In all this time that I have been here, I cannot get him out of my thoughts. I had suspected since your first visit that maybe you had something to do with that attraction. Especially based on everything you've shared with me. I just don't understand my feelings. I cannot seem to let him go, even at the risk of him not truly feeling the same for me," Sookie explained.

"If you felt it from the beginning, before you had his blood, then it must be how you truly feel. I would never manipulate love. I have felt it too strongly and felt the pain of its loss, to ever want to harm someone in such a way," Niall answered truthfully.

"So, how did Einin die?" she asked.

"She was murdered by a treacherous vampire who felt he had a score to settle with me," he answered. His mind reeled at the thought. It made him want to run to his secret chamber in the basement and punish the vampire again and again for his cruelty.

"A vampire? What did you do to him, to make him so angry that he'd kill your true love?" she asked out of curiosity.

"I took his child from him," he stated.

"How could you do that? I thought the maker had to release his child by command?" she asked, stunned by his revelation.

"I made him an offer he couldn't refuse, even though he wanted to, desperately. His child was his best creation, the love of his life. So, by making him give that up, he decided that the best revenge was to take mine in return. However, he was not a lover of women and it disgusted him to think of tying himself to one for eternity, no matter how significant she might have been," he explained.

"Niall, is he the captive vampire in your basement?" Sookie asked, deciding to let it out that she knew. They had formed such a strong relationship while she was here, she felt it unfair to keep secrets from him any longer.

"How did you…well, I guess it doesn't matter. Yes, he is my prisoner for as long as either of us shall live," Niall said bitterly.

"Who is he?" she couldn't stand not knowing his name.

"Appius Livius Ocella. Eric's maker," Niall said coldly.

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**A/N:** I know there was a lot of information in this chapter. I hope you caught it all and that it answered many of your questions, instead of making it more confusing. I foresee only about a chapter or two left in this story now that we know Niall's Best Laid Plans. Press the green and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** I owe a lot of thanks to some wonderfully kind people this go around, including **peppermintyrose** for her insight on the bond and E/S relations and patiently answering my questions (check out her stories, they are really thought provoking – link under my Favs); **InLoveWEric **(She has three in the works! In my favs too!), **LaniLani **(New to writing but awesome!! In my favs too!), **384soa** and **Baronessjai** (just some really kind and funny as hell readers) for their input on Fangbangers and Eric's manwhore reputation and perhaps some fresh lemony goodness!!

**A/N 2:** Things to remember before reading this chapter: Fangtasia had not yet opened and Fangbangers did not exist up to this point. There is some angst, so be warned, but I think you'll find it worth it towards the end.

I thought this was going to be my final chapter, but I've decided to push it one more, to tie up some loose ends. See you at the bottom and thank you all for your incredible support! *Hard-muscled Eric snuggles for all*

* * *

_**Back in the Human Realm - An undetermined amount of time after the reveal of Appius**_

The sight of Sookie crying was breaking his heart. "Sookie, please stop crying. I don't know what to do when women cry," he pleaded with her.

"I just miss her so much, Preston," she sobbed. "I feel like Gran, Claudine, even Claudette's deaths were my entire fault. If I didn't have my damned curse, then no one would have wanted to come after me," she reasoned.

Preston pulled her into a tight hug, while glancing around the old farmhouse. "There, there, my dear," he soothed, patting her back awkwardly. "It has all come to pass and there is nothing you can do to change that. You need to focus on the task at hand. You asked to come back and that is why we are here. Now, let us get to work in tidying up this place. If you plan on spending the night here, we need to get you some clean sheets and do some serious dusting," he leaned back to look in her eyes. He had a mischievous smile on his face.

Preston had known the Viking for a very long time and had genuine affection for him. Not that he thought of him in a romantic sort of way, although he was quite handsome, Preston just felt camaraderie of sorts with Eric, even though he was a vampire. His plan was to make sure Sookie didn't sleep at the sorely in-need-of-repair farmhouse that night. Or if she did, he would make sure she wasn't alone.

As if right on cue, a knock came at the door. Preston broke his hold on Sookie immediately and stepped over towards the old hearth, feigning innocence, in case someone had caught a glimpse of their embrace through one of the uncovered windows.

Sookie ran her hand down her shirt and matching shirred eyelet skirt, in an attempt to compose herself. She had no idea who would be knocking at her door already. Preston and she had just barely arrived and the sun had just set. She made her way to the door and after fumbling with the locks and its stubborn sticky spot, she was able to wrench it open, to find Bill Compton standing on the other side.

"Bill, how on earth did you know I was here?" she asked in a snippy tone. The last time she had seen the troublesome Civil War veteran was when he was trying to drain her dry, at the explosion in New Orleans.

"I've been keeping watch over your property for the Sheriff and noticed lights on when I rose for the evening. I immediately came by to check things out. May I come in?" he asked in his most southern genteel manner. He left out the fact that he could smell her and track her due to his indulgence of her blood, after she located him in the wreckage of the Queen's headquarters.

Sookie huffed a sigh. "Look Bill, I just arrived a short time ago and haven't even had a chance to process anything yet. Can this wait…" she waved her hand back and forth between them, "…until I've had some time to settle in?"

"I'm afraid not. The Sheriff will want you to report in immediately," he said, shaking his head in a firm no.

"Oh, alright. Come in," she said. Her heart leapt a little at the mention of the 'Sheriff'. He was the real reason she had returned. She couldn't stand staying with Niall and never knowing if what she felt was real…if what Eric felt was real.

Niall and she had many conversations regarding her future. They had discussed the dangers the human world held for her now, how many would want to use her for her gifts and what she would do if she were to return to it. The one thing they could never agree on was Eric. Now Bill was here, demanding she report in with him and she wasn't sure she was ready.

"Bill, I believe you know Preston. Preston, maybe you should go for your own safety?" she asked. Immediately, he morphed into his standard Were form, to suppress his scent sufficiently.

"No need. See?" Preston spun in a model like fashion and laughed heartily. Sookie just shook her head.

She had a lot to be thankful for because of Preston. He had visited her many times while she was with Niall and tried to convince her to return and talk to Eric. He had explained how desperate at times Eric seemed to hear any news of her and how he had to pretend that he either didn't know anything or was indifferent to what Eric required. He knew the vampire loved her, but Sookie had been told so many lies and half-truths that she was unsure what was truly right or wrong. That idea in the end is what won out her decision to return. She decided that getting the answer straight from Eric would be the best thing, even if it would break her heart all over again.

Preston knew that wouldn't be the case, but he was a bit nervous as to how their reunion would go. Both of them had changed in the time they were apart. And, there were so many outside influences threatening to keep them that way, that even if they could work out their differences, no one could predict if they would be allowed to stay together. It was worth the risk, though, in his opinion.

"Alright, Bill. Get on with it. What do you have to say?" Sookie demanded, still smirking from Preston's dramatic transformation.

"Well," he began, shifting from foot to foot nervously, "now that I know you are back and alive and well -- _seemingly --_ I will need to contact Eric and let him know. Then, I'm sure that he will either come here immediately, to meet with you or demand that you visit him at Fangtasia. It all depends on his schedule. He is very busy these days, being under the watchful eye of the new king and his Sheriff duties," he concluded.

"Fangtasia?" Sookie asked.

"The vampire themed bar that him, Pam and a couple of the others opened shortly after you took off with Niall. It apparently had been in the works for some time. One of Eric's business ventures, to keep him busy and adding to his personal wealth. As if being a Sheriff under de Castro wasn't taxing enough on ones time," he sighed, looking down at his fingernails.

Sookie flushed with anger. "I know about the bar…I just didn't realize it would be opened already," she said, wondering how they could have opened a bar so soon after the Revelation. She had no idea how long she had been gone for. "And I didn't take _off_ with Niall, _Bill_. He took me away to give Eric time to heal and settle the growing tension with the Fellowship people. Not that it is any of your business," she exclaimed.

"Tell that to the Viking. I'm sure he'd find your excuse less than amusing. Anyway, why don't you change into something more appropriate than knock-off designer chic and I'll make the necessary call," Bill suggested haughtily.

Blowing off Bill's obvious dig at her current ensemble, Sookie looked over at Preston, suddenly in a panic. She had no idea what to wear or if she even had anything 'appropriate' left in her closet that wasn't moth eaten and musty. Preston flashed her another smile, "Compton, don't you dare make that call. We'll make this a surprise visit. Just make sure Eric is there and available without raising suspicion and I'll get Sookie ready."

Bill's face nearly turned green with envy, if it were possible for a vampire to do so. He suspected there was more to Sookie and the Fairy's relationship and he fully intended to find out.

"Clancy, is Eric in this evening?" Bill asked, placing the call to Fangtasia.

"Yes. He has a few meetings scheduled, but will more than likely spend the majority of his evening enthralling the vermin, as Pam says so affectionately," Clancy responded with disdain.

"Perfect. Don't let him know that I called. Expect to see me later though," Bill replied and snapped his phone shut. He should have told Clancy the news, so that little Miss Fairypants wouldn't get the satisfaction of surprising Eric. But, Bill thought the idea of arriving with the luscious telepath on his arm might be just as rewarding, when Eric catches sight of them together. What was it about her that made everyone fall all over themselves to please her – even a fairy prince? _She must be a hellcat in bed_, he thought. _The innocent looking ones normally are_. He still had no clue as to Sookie's relation to Niall.

"What do you wear to a vampire bar?" Sookie asked Preston, once they reached her bedroom.

"How should I know? I'm a fairy. I don't exactly do the bar scene, especially a vampire bar," he chuckled.

Sookie giggled too. "I suppose not, huh. That would be sort of a death wish. So, hey! If you don't go to vampire bars, does that mean you won't be going with me? I cannot go with Bill all alone. He will drive me insane on the way there! Besides you know he cannot be trusted any farther than I could throw him and we both know how far that would be," she said seriously worried.

Preston laughed more. "I don't know. If you give him a little spark, you might be able to throw him pretty far. I'd like to see that!" he paused, taking a moment to live out a little fantasy of Sookie sending Bill across a field of sharp broken glass and links of silver. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he smiled ruefully, "How about this – I'll ride with you to the bar, but I'll hang around outside, out of sight. If you need me, just use your little mind call gift and I'll be there with bells on."

Sookie loved Preston's smile. He was beautiful, just like all the fairies she'd met. And he was really kind and funny too. _Maybe if things didn't work out with Eric, I could go back to the realm with Preston_, Sookie thought. But, then she pushed that thought out of her mind. She wanted to remain positive about tonight.

"I always wondered what exactly that expression meant…with bells on…like cowbells?" Sookie asked, laughing.

"Honestly, I don't know either, but let's concentrate on making you look like vampire bait," Preston smiled in return, diving into the depths of her closet.

After several seconds of hangers scraping against the metal rod of the closet and shoes getting shuffled around, Preston emerged with a dress Sookie had never actually worn before. "I think this might just be the 'one'," Preston replied, licking his lips in a sultry manner.

It was square cut and low in the neck and it was sleeveless. It was tight and white with red roses and long green stems scattered throughout the taffeta fabric. It was the sort of dress one would wear on a date, if one actually dated. And, with Sookie's naturally tanned skin and generous bounty of cleavage, it would definitely keep the interest of anyone escorting her.

"Here, I found these too," Preston said, handing her the red patent leather fuck me pumps, he was holding by their sling-backs. "Now, let's see what you have for accessories."

"If I didn't know any better, Preston, I'd say you had quite the eye for ladies' fashion. What gives?" Sookie teased, taking the items Preston handed to her.

He tossed his head back and laughed a hearty laugh. "Oh, I only know what I'd enjoy seeing you in, if it had been as long as it has for Eric." Before she could ask how long it had actually been, he shouted, "Eureka! I've found the perfect earrings and I think I saw a matching purse in that black hole you call a closet. Here!" he said, handing her the red enamel earrings he had located in her jewelry box, that was fit more for a tweenager and not a eighth-fairy princess, in his opinion.

"Now. I'll leave. You shower and get dressed. I think you should leave your hair down. I have always been fond of long wavy tresses and I'm betting so has the Viking. Now scoot. I'll go be bored with that drone, Compton," he smiled as he walked out her bedroom door, slowly closing it behind him. If Eric didn't take her away that night, Preston surely would. She was magnificent and he couldn't wait to see her in that outfit. Vampire bait indeed.

Walking back out in the family room, Preston decided to check in with his fellow fairy spies as to Niall's whereabouts. Niall didn't exactly know that Sookie was back in the human realm and Sookie wasn't quite aware that Niall didn't give his blessing over her departure. Once she had decided that she wanted to return, Preston made the arrangements himself without consulting Niall, since he was away on kingdom business. But, in his defense, Sookie had said that Niall promised to let her return anytime she wanted to, so he was simply complying. He knew, however, that Niall would be none too pleased with Preston, once he found out. That's why he needed to make sure that Niall was safely still preoccupied and away, at least for the next couple of days. He would warn the Viking of the potential return of an angry Niall and then disappear for a century or two.

While he placed the necessary calls, he threw a protective bubble around him, so that nosey Compton wouldn't be privy to the sensitive nature of Sookie's return. He could just imagine that prat, tattle-telling on them to Niall, in hopes of scoring more points with the Prince. Little did he know, that if it weren't for his precious database, Niall wouldn't give a rat's ass about him.

"Just make sure you notify me immediately, if he comes back," Preston ordered before hanging up with the last of his friendly co-conspirators. It wasn't that Niall was not well liked or revered, it was just that many didn't understand his obsession with humans. And, even though the uprising that Breandan started had been quashed, there were still many in the Prince's service that didn't cotton to humans. Having Sookie around their realm was a danger to her and the Prince's position still.

He caught a low growl from Compton and turned around to see what his problem was, when he noticed Sookie walking into the room.

"Is this alright?" she asked, shyly.

"Oh yes," replied Bill with a leer. Preston wanted to smack him into the demon realm for his response.

"Anyone with eyes sees you as a vision Sookie," Preston said, shooting Bill a dirty look. "If they weren't already dead, I'd say that you would knock 'em all dead with that dress tonight," Preston said smoothly.

"Oh Preston! I suppose if you are going to flatter, it should either be heartfelt or elaborate! You are too much sometimes, but thank you. Now, shall we go before I lose my nerve?" Sookie asked, bouncing with excitement. "By the way, how are we going to get there? Do you actually have a car, Bill?"

"How do you think I get from place to place?" he said sardonically.

"Don't be a smart ass. A simple yes or no would suffice. I swear Bill Compton, one of these days or minutes, you are going to push me too far…" Sookie trailed off, trying to reign in her frustration with him. She expected a bit more respect or at least some remorse from him.

Bill narrowed his beady brown eyes at Sookie, but nodded nonetheless to her statement. "I need to get my car from the house. I'll be back in a moment." Then, like a flash, he was gone.

"I don't know if I can survive this ride with him, Preston. I bet he listens to some weird music like only the scores from B rated horror films or that creepy Banjo solo from "Deliverance". Can't you just pop me there, like y'all do?" Sookie asked.

"I would love to, but you would smell like fairy magic when you arrived and that would be a bad thing. Besides, you should be escorted by someone and if it can't be me, then our next best thing is Compton," replied Preston. "It will be fine. Maybe we can practice your mind talking thing on our way. I'll try and project thoughts to you and you can reply through your own thoughts without letting Bill in on it."

At that point, they heard a car pull up the drive. "Well, here goes nothing!" Sookie said as she made her way out to the porch, locking the front door behind them. "Do you have any magic that will take care of sweaty palms and pits? I can't shake my gitters."

"Deep breaths, my dear. That will help. Besides, your scent will just add to the lure," Preston chided.

As it turned out, Bill was as boring at driving as he was at conversation and appearance. He actually drove slower than the speed limit and it took the three of them over an hour to get to Shreveport. It only took Eric's limo 30 minutes to get them to his high-rise that first night, so long ago. Luckily, Sookie and Preston were able to entertain themselves with mind chatter. It helped block out the cacophony of bugle and trumpet soloist that Bill was showcasing on his Bose sound system. Sookie had thought that the company would have been embarrassed had they known their state-of-the-art speaker technology was being wasted on such distortion.

Pulling into the non-descript shopping strip-mall, Sookie noticed the jazzy scripted neon sign that read "Fangtasia". She couldn't believe that Eric actually went through with the name. It sounded so silly to her as she recalled their conversation, which seemed like forever ago.

Bill parked out front, near the entrance. Preston left Sookie to walk inside with Bill, while he snooped around outside and found a good hiding spot. He would stay close in case there was trouble, either from the patrons or from her great-granddaddy. He hoped it wouldn't be Eric that made the scene, but he was prepared for anything.

"Well, I guess Eric decided grey was less obvious than black," Sookie said sarcastically, taking in the coloring of the entrance. "And, of course, a red door, how appropriate," she smiled, remembering that Eric's favorite color was red. Then she paused and looked down at herself. She wondered how Preston knew that, because she was accented head to toe, in red.

"What do you mean?" Bill asked.

"Nevermind. Let's just get this over with before I have a nervous breakdown," she responded coolly.

There was an unfamiliar vampiress at the door, carding the patrons and collecting the cover charge, just like any other bar. She was dressed in an over-the-top, long black dress with wispy sleeves. She could have passed for Lily from the "Munsters", if she only had that splotch of grey streaking her matching long, black, stick-straight hair.

"Bill," she said with a cool nod.

"Constance," Bill replied. "She is meeting with the Sheriff. I'll vouch for her," he stated, nodding his head towards Sookie, while slipping Constance a fifty-dollar bill. Sookie watched the exchange with interest, wondering if the money was for the cover charge or for making sure, she kept their entrance to herself for the time being.

"Be my guest," she said, moving aside, to let them pass by.

Once they were inside, Sookie almost broke out into peals of laughter -- almost, because the clientele gave her pause. Everything was painted grey, black and red. The tables were a glossy black with red pleathery upholstery and the walls were covered in framed posters of every fictitious vampire known to humans: Bela Lugosi, George Hamilton, Gary Oldman and many more that had graced the silver screen with their Hollywood fangs. The bar was full – full of those who appeared to be 'regulars', some were obvious tourists and then there were the vampires. They stood out with their irregular glow that only Sookie seemed to be able to see. They eyed her and Bill suspiciously, as she stood in the middle of the floor taking in everything around her.

That's when the voices started. She had been so out of practice having to block the unwanted thoughts of humans, that she was unprepared for the sudden bombardment. All they were thinking about was sex, sex, sex. Even the tourists were thinking about sex. The groupies or what Sookie had 'heard' them referred to as fangbangers, were thinking about sex with the vampires, especially one in particular – Eric. They were all there, men and women alike, hoping that tonight would be their night that the handsome, romance novel looking vampire called Eric, would take one of them for his meal. They were imaging all sorts of sordid things they would do with or to him. And, the tourists were thinking about the fangbangers having sex with the vampires. Again, especially with the handsome one called Eric.

Sookie felt sick to her stomach. "I need a drink," she croaked.

"The bar is over there. Tell them you are a guest of Eric's and they'll get you whatever it is you desire," Bill said, pointing to the tattoo covered, fierce looking vampire bartender. "I'm going to go see if Eric is available. Don't talk to anyone and most importantly, do not tell them your name," he ordered. He emphasized this by pinching the back of her arm very hard before giving her a shove towards the bar. He also shot the bartender a significant look before striding off.

Sookie approached the bar and asked for a gin and tonic. She needed something strong to calm her nerves and to give her some liquid courage. Now that she was so close to him, it dawned on her that she could feel Eric's life force thrumming away in the back of her head and she could sense his slight annoyance or maybe... anger? She guessed Bill brought that out in everyone.

As she began to take another sip of her drink, a young woman pushed her way to the bar next to her. She had blonde hair, not unlike hers and would be pretty if she washed off the pound of dark make-up she had shellacked to her face. The girl was hoping that Eric was feeling hungry tonight. She was imaging them together, perhaps in a hotel room, her lying naked on a bed, spread out before him and Eric preparing to bite her inner thigh. Sookie sputtered and choked on her drink. Tears began to form in her eyes and then a voice she recognized came behind her.

"I don't believe my own superior eyesight – Sookie Stackhouse?! Is that truly you? Well isn't this a treat!"

Sookie slowly turned around, remembering what Bill had said about not telling anyone her name. "Pam?" Sookie asked, startled by her appearance. Pam was wearing all black. A tight lacy black corset that would have been more appropriate in the bedroom than a bar, a long black leather pencil skirt and five-inch pumps that had the skinniest heel Sookie had ever seen. Her make-up was dark and her lips were painted the reddest red possible. "Is that really you?" she asked, motioning her hand up and down at her getup.

"In the undead flash," Pam snarked. "What are you doing here?"

That Pam, she always was right to the point. "Ummm…I'm here with Bill," she stammered not sure what to say.

"Bill Compton? As in a date or are you here on business?" Pam asked.

"Date?! What?? No! Are you crazy? That bastard tried to drain me the last I saw him. I just got back to Bon Temps and before I could do anything, Bill showed up demanding I 'check-in' with the _Sheriff,_" Sookie replied.

"I would have thought that I would have been the first person you contacted," a deep voice came from right beside her. She had been staring so intently at Pam, that she had not even felt his presence.

"Oh Eric! I was hoping you'd be here tonight. I was wondering…" the blonde girl who had been sitting beside Sookie started to speak, but a look from him silenced her instantly.

Sookie began to shake. Her nerves had taken over and the visuals she was getting from the girl were making her angry on top of that. "I just wanted to go home and be around something familiar," Sookie replied.

Wrong answer. "Was I not your home and something familiar before you left?" he rumbled.

The jolt of anger that she felt from him as a result of their bond only managed to fuel her own. "I did not '_leave_', I was taken away – so, so you could heal and do your job as _Sheriff_ – handle the growing tensions with the Fellowship," she exclaimed.

Eric rolled his eyes to the ceiling and let out an unnecessary breath through his nose, nostrils flaring. Her scent was assaulting his senses. How long had he waited to smell her unique fragrance? How many nights did he waste wondering if that would be the one she would return to him, only to be disappointed time and time again?

"You saw how injured I was, after the blast. It took me a week to fully heal. A week! It took even less time to deal with those sadly misguided religious zealots. So where were you the rest of the time?" he accused.

Sookie watched his reactions closely. It felt like it had been forever since she had seen him. She watched his frustration, his unnecessary breath, him folding his massive arms over his chest in an obvious show of defensiveness and it struck her that what she was feeling the most from him was hurt. He was _hurt_ by her absence. But, that just aggravated her more. Why didn't he demand Niall return her to him, if he cared so much? Why was he off fucking fangbanging whores, instead of trying to get her back?

"The things are remember most clearly about that day was finding you and Pam naked and lying on top of each other, before I rescued both of your asses! Not to mention many of the vamps in this bar _and_ your freakin' King! Oh…and let's not forget me almost being drained by none other than your watch dog, Bill Compton! Of course, it just had to be topped off by being whisked away by my great-grand…." She started to say Niall, but the look Eric shot her, made her realize that this was neither the time or place to be discussing her heritage.

"I will not have this conversation here. Get back to work – all of you! Music!" Eric ordered and turned, taking two long strides to sit down at an empty table that seemed to be reserved just for him.

Pam was still standing there, glaring at Sookie. "You know, we didn't sleep together that night when you slayed all the bad fairies. We were both quite intoxicated from all the spilled blood and fighting. Of course, we stayed out so close to dawn that all we could do was get ourselves to a safe room, shower and die for the day. We simply collapsed on the bed and that's how you found us. I haven't had sex with Eric in decades. I guess you could say I have an affinity for the softer, gentler gender."

Surprised by Pam's candor, Sookie couldn't help the feelings of relief and shock from showing on her face, so Pam continued. "I am simply telling you this because not only did you save my ass twice in as many nights back then, but Eric has been miserable without you. You two need to work out your differences and get on with things. Whether it's together or apart, I could care. I just want what is best for my maker." And, with that, she sauntered away, blending into the crowding of now gyrating bodies.

Sookie turned back to the bar and asked for a fresh drink. The bartender was now eyeballing her suspiciously. "So you're Sookie Stackhouse, huh? Not what I expected. You look like a white candle in a coal mine in that dress. But, by reputation, I hear you are a force to be reckoned with. Where have you been hiding?"

Sookie sighed. Her head hurt from all the thoughts banging around in her head, especially from the girl who had been jilted by Eric earlier and now this scary tattooed vampire wanted to chat! "Just give me the damn drink!" she snapped.

"Sure thing, boss lady," he said, flashing her a fangy smile. "Gah!" she said aloud, figuring he was one of those guys who secretly liked to be bossed around by a domineering woman.

With her back facing him, Eric sat at his table, staring a virtual hole into the rosebuds on her dress. He was confounded by her reappearance. She had obviously dressed up for him and he could feel her jealousy and hurt over the fangbanger he had fed from occasionally. She must have read her thoughts. Yet, she held so much anger inside her, as if he had done something wrong. All he had ever done was put her needs first, even to the point of risking his own existence. Did she not realize the depths of his feelings for her? Had he not confessed his love for her and kept her safe? She was the one who only had to ask Niall to return, yet she did not, until now. What did she want from him? Was it true that she and Preston had some sort of relationship now, as Bill had reported, when he stormed into his office not twenty minutes ago?

Sookie could feel the pull of his gaze and his blood calling her to him. Was he using their bond to call her…to….to make her heal like a freakin' dog? She couldn't take it anymore. She tossed back the rest of her drink and stormed over towards his table. It was a little harder than she expected between the mass of bodies swaying to the DJ's choice of song and the gin beginning to take hold in her system, but she finally made it.

He had been watching her the entire time, tracking her movements and that of the vampires around her. Everyone had heard their heated exchange and no doubt Pam's mention of her name. Having someone, especially a human, speak to him in such a disrespectful manner was an embarrassment which was why he chose to walk away. Plus, he didn't want to air their 'dirty laundry' in front of everyone and he was sure that Felipe had spies planted. It wouldn't be long before the King heard of Sookie's return.

He had imagined their reunion so many times since her disappearance and this was not how he had expected things to go.

"I know about the bond and I know what you are doing. I am asking you to stop," she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

He swiftly rose from his seat, grabbed her hand and led her back to his office so fast, that she barely had time to process any of it.

He slammed the door behind her and then pinned her up against it, pressing his hard muscled body so close to hers that they practically molded into one.

"You show up exactly _one_ year later, demanding and accusing _me_ of things, making a scene in _my_ bar in front of everyone, including those of _my_ retinue, disrespecting _me_. _I _will not have it!" he growled, his face centimeters from hers. He wanted to kiss her, to claim what was rightfully his, but he refrained, deferring to wait out her response.

He felt her shock and sadness, sprinkled with a bit of fear. He hated that she was afraid of him, but he had learned that she listened and processed information more efficiently when she was distracted by it, so he let it pass.

"A year? What are you talking about?" she gasped, tears welling in her eyes.

"Niall promised you could return any time you wanted and it took you an entire year to do so! And when you do decide to return, you disregard my position by showing up unannounced with Bill on one arm and Preston on the other, looking like vampire bait! Then expect me to what…fall all over you? I do have some self-respect! If you must know, I waited for you, searched for you, called in favors to explain the bond to me…to tell me whether it was safe for you to be separated from me, if I could call you back without causing you harm. I wasted time, money and resources all to no avail. I refrained from feeding off others, drinking that synthetic crap, in hopes of maintaining some kind of connection to you through the bond – at risk to my own health, until I could no longer resist, until I could no longer afford to lose my strength!" Eric ranted. It felt good to him to get this all out. He didn't realize how much pain she had caused him, how much contempt he had built up inside.

Sookie sobbed. "Time is different in the realm…it doesn't really _exist_. I had _no_ idea it had been so _long_! And the things I was told about you, about our bond, I didn't believe you would even care if I came back! Besides, it is not as if you _truly_ went without! Remember," she said, tapping her finger to her temple, "I am a telepath…I heard their thoughts out there. The infamous Eric the Vampire, excellent lover, wanted by all. Oh! And that girl…" she gasped, closing her eyes in an attempt to clear the images from her mind.

"I am _vampire_ Sookie! A Sheriff…the only surviving Sheriff of Sophie-Anne's regime. I have to stay nourished and strong for my people, for myself, to stay one step ahead of the King. And, did you not notice that girl's similarities to you? Yes, I took pleasure in my meals sometimes, but not every time and only with a handful of those truly desirable. I have standards. I don't need sex to survive, but I do need blood, fresh blood preferably and I am a man, after all. You should know, even at the disgust of Pam that I waited for you to come back before I fed from another. But, as weeks became months, it was much harder to resist. Fucking and feeding go hand in hand with us. You are aware of this! Besides, how was I to know if you were ever to return! How was I to know that you hadn't found yourself a handsome fairy prince to mate with? That you haven't been fucking Preston?! To think I trusted that bastard with your safety and his word that he didn't know where you were," Eric was trying desperately to make her understand without sounding callus, while also maintaining his dignity. He was not going to grovel over this woman! He had wasted too much time on her already. He stepped away from her, running his hands through his hair, trying to reign in the beast that was smoldering inside of him.

Sookie took in everything he was saying and feeling. She sensed all of his intense emotions and could actually read them on his face as he spoke. Slinking over to the couch, she dropped down and held her face in her hands. She finally had her answer. It wasn't the way she had envisioned that all this would go, but it was clear to her now that Eric indeed had feelings for her and it obviously hurt him deeply that she didn't come back to him right away. What she wasn't truly convinced of though, was whether those feelings were due to her own magic -- her fairy essence -- or their blood tie. Did he love her or was she his possession, a part of his blood?

"I'm not fucking Preston, nor did I fuck anyone while I was at Niall's home. I did however learn many things about myself, about our bond and most interesting of all, about you," Sookie started. "Preston is probably the reason why I am here right now. He convinced me that all my questions, melancholy and doubting, would be answered if I just came back and talked to you. I guess I wasn't prepared for your reaction. I had no idea I had been gone so long. No one told me! I knew that some time had passed, because Niall explained to me that there was no such thing as time in the fae realm. I guess ignorance of the laws of nature are no excuse for not returning sooner than I did. I just didn't want to be broken…" she trailed off. Sookie thought she had felt low before, but this had to be the bottom of the emotional pool. Not only was she setting herself up for potential heartbreak, but also possibly bringing Eric down with her.

He sat back in his chair, feet up on his desk, elbows propped on the armrests and his fingers tented at his lips. "What are these questions you seek answers to?" he asked, unsettled by what they could be.

"As I said, I learned a lot about myself and about you, or I guess more specifically, vampire nature in general," she sighed. _In for a penny, in for a pound_, she thought. "I learned much about my gifts. One specifically that was startling."

Eric waved his hand in a 'continue on' motion. She took a deep breath, swallowed hard and then continued. "I apparently have the ability to see one's soul. I can tell by just a look whether your intent is malevolent or benevolent. If I accept you for who you are, you may become…how should I say…enamored by me? Willing to do things out of character…to fall in love with me?" she squeaked.

"And, so you doubted what you mean me," Eric stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, there is more. I don't know how to tell you this without getting into a long story, but – well, your maker, Appius? He's kind of a prisoner of Niall's and I happened to talk to him about you…about our bond…about vampires and he explained that vampires were hard-wired to never feel the emotion of love, because it would be too dangerous for your survival. Then, Niall explained to me how you were 'raised' by Appius, what you were trained to do, why you are the way you are and why you are feared by many. I became convinced that if I were to return to you, you couldn't possibly feel for me the way I do you…if what I feel for you is even genuine. You see, Appius said that the way we were bonded made it so that it appeared you loved me as a way of ensuring loyalty in me as your 'enslaved'." There she said it. And, she didn't even cry. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to, but it needed to be just put out there and she would deal with the consequences afterwards.

Eric sat in deep thought for several minutes, processing everything she had just confessed, moving the chess pieces around in his mind. Was it possible that his feelings were manufactured this entire time, based on one of her unique gifts? The moment he had spotted her in getting out of her car, at the old farmhouse, that very first night, he had wanted her. Nevertheless, desire and love are two different beasts. When he showed up at Merlotte's to ask her on their 'date', he had felt an instant attraction to her, a pull that he had never experienced before. She hadn't exhibited any of her fairy powers at that time, so to him, their connection was deeper than some simple magic.

"Tell me about Appius," he ordered. He needed the distraction for the moment.

Sookie looked up at him, meeting his steely gaze. She tried to pull any emotion from his face, any indication through the bond that might tell her that she was wrong to doubt their feelings for one another, but he gave nothing away.

"Oo--Okay then. Well, ummm, remember after I was staked, how I told you I had a vision with my Gran and Niall keeping a locked up vampire to drink from in some bizarre ritual?" she asked. When Eric nodded, she continued. "Well, that place really exists and that vampire is none other than your maker, Appius Livius Ocella. He killed my great-grandmother, Niall's human lover, Einin, who gave birth to the half-fairy twins, Fintan and Dermot. He killed her because he said that Niall took the only thing he ever loved from him and he felt she was a fair trade. Once Niall found out, he captured Appius, but instead of killing him, he bound him to him in such a way that if one dies, so does the other. Now they exchange blood regularly, in order to keep Niall young, healthy and powerful. The closest he'll ever be to immortal without becoming one of you…," she explained.

"Did Niall tell you what Appius meant about losing the only thing he ever loved?" Eric asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. He cringed at the thought.

"He did. You had told me once before too…that you had made a deal with Niall during the last Fairy/Vamp war, that if you succeeded in killing the reigning prince, Niall would negotiate your release from your master. He didn't tell me what he bargained in return for your freedom, but he said that he made him an offer he couldn't refuse…very 'Godfatherish' of him," she smiled weakly.

"And so you trust what this foul creature has to say to you about me, knowing what you know?" Eric asked.

Sookie wasn't sure what he meant. "I know that he is your maker, that he raised you to be a certain way, instilled in you enough values that you are an incredible warrior, a honorable man, someone to be feared and revered all the same. What more is there to know? Why wouldn't I believe what he said?"

"You are so naïve at times, Sookie. You make it all sound so reasonable – like he didn't drain the life of your great-grandmother out of spite. Ocella was a monster. If you only knew a quarter of what he did to me and my fellow blood-siblings, maybe then you would understand your mistake. By the time he was done with me, I couldn't feel anything, especially love. I was a monster…a blood-sucking, killing machine. I drained a half-fairy princess, not unlike yourself, after the war, just because I could. But, not before I enjoyed the pleasures of her flesh, repeatedly. I can't say she experienced the same… I am a cold-blooded killer because of Ocella. Something from your worst nightmares, maybe something you couldn't even comprehend," Eric replied, looking towards the door because he couldn't face Sookie in that moment. The pain of his past was so real, he wasn't sure if he would allow his beast to be unleashed on her in that moment or if he could push it back where it had resided for the last half-millennium.

"He told you those things to perpetuate his revenge…to punish me! Tell me, did you allow him to taste you?" he asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" she was surprised by his question.

"Because once he had a taste of you, knew who you were and probably what you could do, his vengeance was renewed, his bitterness revitalized. Not only had he lost me, but in the process, I had gained something even more precious…_you_…and he tried the only way he could to keep us apart…by planting doubt in your mind about our connection. That way, we both would be punished. He is still trying to exact his revenge," Eric said bitterly.

He abruptly got up from his chair and came to kneel before her. Her took her hands in his and kissed them reverently. "Fucking fairies and their fucking magic. I do not give a damn how we came to be, all I care is that you are _mine_ and you will be _mine_. I have lived a thousand years without feeling love for much of anything other than myself, let alone having it reciprocated. You accepted me for who I am, almost from day one. You never cowed to me, you always treated me as your equal and usually with respect, other than when you wanted to defy me. However, the fact that you had the courage to do so, even in the face of dire repercussions, you didn't back down. You are brave to a fault and beautiful, as well as gifted on many levels. I am not willing to give any of that up because there might have been some outside influence that helped me see what and who you are. You make me a better person, at least when you are _around_…," he said, with his signature smirk.

Sookie was shedding silent tears while Eric was speaking. Her chest was so tight and the lump in her throat was so large that she could barely breathe or swallow. She pulled her hands from his much larger ones, then grabbed him and pulled him in for a messy, snotty, teary-eyed kiss that was so intense that her magic hummed around them, in a sort of private bubble.

"I do love you Eric and I am so sorry that I caused you so much pain this past year. Just know that I too was in pain. Perhaps if we had talked more about the bond, after it had happened, I wouldn't have been so easily misled by Appius," she said and then kissed him again in earnest.

When she pulled back to catch her breath, she asked, "Tell me the truth about something, do you use the bond to compel me to do things?"

"I have used the bond to give you strength when I thought you've needed it, to send you calm when you've gotten yourself so wound up for no reason and once to take away your pain after you were staked, but I have never compelled you to do anything Sookie. Ocella was a cruel master and would make us do any number of repulsive things against our will. If there is one thing I still hold with me that I learned from that bastard, it was to never abuse my power over another living or undead thing. It goes against everything I believe. I won't say that I haven't considered doing it, especially if I thought you were ever in danger, or shortly after you left with Niall, but I never, ever went through with it," he replied honestly.

"So why is it that when you are near, I feel inexplicably drawn to you, even when I'm pissed? I think even the night I first met you, I was drawn to you like a moth to a flame," she asked.

Eric shrugged. "I don't know, nor do I care," he said, grabbing the back of her neck to pull her closer to him. Their foreheads were touching, "I feel the same way. Maybe we are just another cliché? Love at first sight, meant to be, made for each other and all that corny, romantic slop? Again, I don't really care, as long as you'll have me…especially, if you _haavvve_ me…," he said, waggling his eyebrows in that absurd flirty way.

"Take me home?" she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh yes, _Lover_, I intend to _take you_ indeed," he whispered against her lips. He captured them sweetly in a chaste kiss, before standing up and wrapping her to his body. In the blink of an eye, they were out his office door, out the back entrance of the bar and taking to the sky, to an undisclosed location.

Preston caught sight of them as Eric launched them toward the bright full moon. He was both happy and sad that they had worked things out. He was happy to see them resolve their issues and find contentment in each other's arms. If anyone deserved the rapture of unconditional love, it was his friend the Viking. However, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He too deserved love and the one that he could see that with was Sookie.

He decided that a message on Eric's cell would be the best chance at warning him about an angry Niall. He left him his contact information if either he or Sookie should need his help, before he popped himself back home, to the fae realm, to await word of Niall's wrath.

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**A/N:** Okay…So let me have it. The button has changed, but it's still there, so press it and give it to me straight. I think next chapter should be light and fluffy, don't you? Time to pull out the trusty Kama Sutra…Thanks for reading. *hugs*


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Well, here it is! The final chapter! It's kinda long, so plan appropriately. :) Special thanks to **Baronessjai** for her help in making sure I kept the lemons rated "M" and not "XXX". ;P And to **VampLover1**, who used her fairy magic (well actually her grasp of the English language and teaching skills) to make this puppy shine. She is the force behind all of my writing, making sure I learn from my mistakes and keeping me motivated, focused, on track etc. _Amazing_, she is!

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable is not mine, including the characters, who belong to the lovely Charlaine Harris and of course the Kamasutra. (Think that goes without saying…even though my husband once told me that his great-grandfather wrote it, as a way to get me to go on a date with him…Hey, I'm gullible, it was 15 years ago, youngsters in college. He was the T.A. for a complicated engineering class…I wanted a good grade. It all ended well. LOL.)

Something to recall from a couple of chapters ago: A conversation between Sookie and Niall where he mentioned the Great Pythoness having interest in Sookie and leading all races into a peaceful co-existence (ch 19).

_Drum roll………_

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The Kama Sutra is neither exclusively a sex manual nor a sacred or religious work, but rather a guide to a fulfilled life in the Hindi tradition. Kama, in its basic translation, simply means enjoyment of the senses. I hope you have a taste of that below.

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Sookie barely felt them touch down, before Eric breezed them inside what she assumed was a house. Her surroundings were without light, without even a hint of the brightness of the full moon. Before she could catch her breath and release her death grip from around Eric's neck, he set her down on a cool, silky surface that felt like butter on the backs of her bare thighs. Then he delicately peeled her off him, running his hands down her arms and then her legs, as he knelt in front of her, arms on either side of her hips.

"Eric?" she asked.

"Right here, dear one," he whispered in her right ear then nibbled gently, causing her to shiver with desire.

"Where are we? I can't see anything other than your eerie vampirey glow!" she said in hushed tones, unsure if he was whispering because they needed to or because he wanted to.

"That's the point, lover," he replied, his lips ghosting the side of her face. She could feel them pressed into a smile and hear the light rumble of laughter in his chest.

"Well, that's not fair! You can see just fine! What are you up to?" she asked, reaching out for him, but he was no longer there. She whipped her head around, outstretching her arms and hands in an attempt to find him, or anything for that matter, around her. "Where did you go?" she asked, slightly unnerved by being alone in the pitch black and in an unfamiliar location.

"All is fair, my lover. I am right here so there is no need to be frightened. I thought we could play a little game, have some fun," he chuckled again.

"Ooo. Kay. Eric, I just barely returned and you bring me to god knows where, and the first thing you want to do is play a game? Has my absence driven you mad?" she laughed, but it was short and uncomfortable. Partly amused by his playfulness and partly flustered by the circumstances, she crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

"I am only mad _for_ you, dear Sookie. I have brought you home, to _our_ home, or more specifically, our bedroom and our bed -- as you requested. I have thought of little else for the last twelve months. What is the saying… 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'…something along those lines? It's just – well, I'm curious as to why you acquiesced so easily back at the bar, from what I know of my little spitfire. So, I thought we could test out your new found willingness," he said, suddenly appearing by her left side and breathing his cool breath into her neck. She shivered again.

"Cold?" he asked, smiling again into the soft muscle along her collarbone.

Sookie swallowed the lump forming in her throat, her heart hammering away in her chest. She reached out for him, but again he was not there. She sighed in frustration. "I spent way too much time obsessing over whether what I felt was real, what you may want of me and perhaps what you don't want, while I was with Niall. I was simply relieved to hear your words, that's all," she explained, shrugging her shoulders and looking down at the hem of her dress, trying to hold back the tears that suddenly formed in her eyes. "Your presence calms me, makes me happy – maybe even a bit giddy at times."

"Times like these?" he asked, suddenly appearing in front of her again.

"Times like these make me think that you were really good at the whole 'bump in the night thing'! You're freaking me out a little," she said, a cool shiver running up her spine and making her hair stand on end.

"Yes, I _am_ very good at it," he purred, sliding his hand up the skirt of her dress, caressing the outside of her thigh all the way to her hip where her panties rested. Then just as quickly, he withdrew it and was gone.

"You know, it's not nice to tease," Sookie complained, annoyed by his taunts. "We are supposed to be having glorious and gratuitous makeup sex right now, not playing peek-a-boo!" she snapped.

Eric dropped down beside her with a soft thud. "I am unfamiliar with this term, 'makeup sex', but intrigued," he said. "Explain." He brushed her hair back from her neck and shoulder, to reveal the tender spot containing one of her many delicious arteries. His cool touch made her pulse quicken and her body flush with heat.

She bit her bottom lip, embarrassed to explain. This habit drove him wild with desire. "Well, ummm, it's the really great sex you have with your man or woman after you've had an argument."

"Hmmm," he said in a low growl. "_We_ did not have an argument. I would say more like unnecessary interference by some rather _annoying_ outside forces, which led to some misunderstandings. I do like the part of really great sex with _my_ woman, though," he said, leaning in and licking that special spot behind her ear that drove her crazy.

Sookie turned quickly to capture his lips in a kiss, but he anticipated the move and shifted to her other side. "Boo!" he blew into her hair. She jumped with a startled scream.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, Eric! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Now stop this nonsense and kiss me, damn it!" Sookie demanded.

Eric chuckled before wrapping his hands in the blonde hair that nearly matched his own, "Your command, my wish, lover," he sighed, before pressing his lips to hers. He slid his cool tongue between her lips and she welcomed it like the last bite of chocolate cake.

She couldn't help but moan as their hands skimmed over each other's clothing. His hand snaked back up under her dress, this time tickling the inside of her thighs. She opened them on instinct, welcoming his touch. His thick fingers grazed over her center, alerting them both to her obvious arousal. This time he moaned, but then unexpectedly, broke away from the kiss.

Sookie panicked. "What's wrong?" she asked, clutching to him so he wouldn't disappear on her again.

"Do you know what the five human senses are, dear one?" he asked, running his hand through her hair.

"Sure. Sight, Taste, Touch, Smell, and Hearing. What do they have to do with right now? You're killing me, Eric!" she whined.

"Remember our first night together – when I took you to my 'bat cave,' as you called it -- the part where it was so dark, you couldn't see anything?" he asked.

Sookie nodded, thinking back to that night. So many things happened that night and the following one. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "You said that when one sense is taken away, the others become heightened. You suggested I close my eyes and follow you with my other senses. What are you getting at?"

"What I have planned for us this evening," he growled, nipping at her shoulder. "We are going to explore four out of the five senses. Your sight has been impaired for the most part, so the others have been heightened. It will be…_educational_…for you," he explained.

"I, I don't know, Eric…" she said nervously.

"Trust me, lover. It will be most pleasurable," he responded, the tone of his voice holding nothing but promise. "Now lie back and close your eyes. Your first lesson shall be in touch," he said, guiding her onto her back.

Lying back slowly, Sookie had no idea what he was thinking or what he planned to do, and it made her nervous and excited all at the same time. "These sheets feel amazing," she said, running her hands around her. "Are they part of my lessons?"

"Just a bonus," he replied, as she felt him lay down beside her. His gentle hand smoothed up her right arm, to her shoulder and then to her neck where he rested it for a second on her throbbing pulse point.

Her eyebrows lifted in surprised as he placed his hands on either side of her face instead of where she wanted them most…her breasts. "I thought of you, of this moment so often, Sookie," he said roughly. His voice was a bit deeper than normal.

"Me too," she whispered, leaning forward trying to capture his lips in a kiss, but he pulled back leaving barely an inch of space between them. "We've lost so much time because of…," her whisper trailed off as he bent to kiss her eyelids.

"I only care of the present, dear one. You are here now, with me and I don't plan on letting you go anywhere." His comment made a shiver slowly snake its way down her spine and curve right around to nestle between her thighs. He did not want to lose her ever again. If there was any way to keep her by his side just like this, forever… guaranteed, he would do anything he could to find it.

Her hands threaded into his long mane and she pulled him hard against her into a frenzied kiss. She raised her hips and rolled to bring their bodies as close together as possible.

"Slowly, my lover," he whispered in her ear. "This is hardly some suck and fuck. The night stretches ahead. Shall we squander it in impatience and haste?" he asked, while reaching around behind her to unzip her dress painfully slow.

He shifted her slightly so that she was now lying on her stomach. Bending at the knees, he leaned over her and began to run his cool tongue down her spine, following the path of the disappearing zipper. His teeth nipped at her flesh where her lower back began to curve down towards her ass, sending goose bumps crawling over her skin.

Desire swirled wildly inside her as he carefully kneaded her lace-covered bottom, while tossing her dress aside. "There are so many erogenous zones on our bodies and with the sense of touch, whether it is with our fingers, lips or tongue, you can be nearly brought to orgasm if done correctly. One sorely overlooked area is the woman's buttocks," he instructed, breaking the silence of the moment. He continued to trace the curves from her lower back, then alternating between firm and light kisses on those cheeks as if they were her breasts.

Then he continued his education by slowly removing her panties, dragging his fingers purposefully against her thighs and down behind her knees, until he reached her calves and finally her ankles. He followed his fingers again with his tongue and lips, paying special attention to the thin sensitive skin behind her knees.

He touched her everywhere but where she wanted it most, and it was driving her insane. She heard herself moan with lust as he slowly turned her body to mush.

"Now it's my turn," he chuckled, leaning back to take off his shirt. Sookie turned on her side and sat up slightly to see if she could catch what he was doing by the light of his ethereal glow. She could feel him slowly shedding his black Fangtasia t-shirt. She reached out to trail her fingers down his bare flesh. He laid down beside her, revealing his taut abs and the shadow of his little happy trail of darker blond hair that led to the deliciousness below his belt. Pulling her towards him, she couldn't help but to flick her tongue across his nipple, closing her eyes, feeling ecstatic at the taste.

As if he could read her thoughts, he explained, "Touch and taste go hand in hand, especially when we use our lips and tongue to do the touching." Then he pulled her up the length of his body until their lips met.

Sookie dragged her fingernails through his scalp as she attacked his lips and neck. She couldn't get enough of him, the scent of him, the heady perfume that was Eric; the exotic, unnameable aroma of his skin, made blood beat at her temples.

He growled with approval as she continued to touch and taste her way down his sculpted frame. "A lover's moan is the most erotic of the senses. It lets you know that you are pleasing them greatly. That is the sense of hearing," he coached, in a gravelly voice.

"Mmmm…" was all she could respond, as she ran her tongue along his lower abs. She began to fumble with his belt buckle and subsequent button and zipper of his jeans. He was so hard that the bulge in his pants was precariously close to busting out all on its own.

Once she finally managed to set him free, (he had gone commando of course), they both moaned but for separate reasons. His was for the relief he felt from having to no longer endure the unpleasant rubbing of the denim's zipper on his sensitive flesh; hers was from the intoxicating smell that was like concentrated Eric, assaulting her nose. She couldn't help but bury her face in the crook between his thigh and groin.

Her sudden attack on one of Eric's most secretly sensitive spots nearly broke his resolve. He fisted his hands into her hair and held her steady, as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "And now you've discovered smell, my talented lover," he sighed.

This night was all about them discovering the connection they had with one another, about them finally becoming one and moving forward with their sealed destiny. They needed to forget everything that anyone else had told them and just feel, taste, smell, see and hear how much each of them meant to the other.

"Oh, lover, keep that up and you will be experiencing my favorite sense all by yourself. Come -- It's time to experience all of them at once and I'm getting very…hungry," he said, running his tongue over his fangs.

Sookie shimmied her way back up his body, eager for another kiss. Her body was vibrating with want, she was so turned on – her skin was like a live wire – literally, with her magic hovering just beneath the surface. Even if she could have, she wouldn't have been able to see, her eyes were somewhere between open and closed, unfocused from her desire.

Eric wiped a cool, smooth thumb across her bottom lip and she instinctively licked at it as it passed. She instantly noticed the taste. He must have pierced his thumb with his fang before rubbing it on her lip, because it was his blood she was relishing, his rich, thick, sweet, intoxicating blood that was the force binding them together.

The sight of her sucking on her bottom lip and her blue eyes shining up at him like two brilliant stars undid him. He pinned her arms over her head with one arm while his other swept over the front of her body to caress her breasts. He stroked his knee along the inside of her thigh, encouraging her to open herself to him. "Yield to me, Sookie. Tell me you are mine, as I am yours. Say the words…let me _hear _you, my lover," he ordered, allowing a bit of his weight to settle on top of her, so that their bodies remained in constant contact.

She drew a deep breath, inhaling more of his electrifying scent. She wriggled a bit, wanting to free her hands to touch him, but he wouldn't allow it. So, she hooked her right leg up around his waist drawing him in closer and latched onto his nipple with her mouth. Sookie decided she would take a page out of his book and use all of her senses to explore him as he did her.

Taking slow, steady breaths through her nose to smell him, she used her lips and tongue to taste and to touch what she could reach of his hard chest. She moaned in pleasure, allowing him to hear her, as she rocked against him. He continued impatiently waiting for her response. Then she bit down as hard as she could just beside his right nipple and began to drink from him.

His surprise groan filled the night, while he enjoyed her sneak attack. Once she had her fill, he let go of her hands, whipped her around and grabbed her stomach, lifting her so his rigid length pressed right between the cleft of her ass checks. "You asked for it now," he growled, dragging his fangs across her shoulder blades.

Pleasure speared her as much as he did, in one swift motion. His left hand plucked at her diamond hard nipples while the right reached around to massage her throbbing nub. She expected him to start pummeling her with his greater strength, as a form of retribution, but instead he cuddled her, holding his thrusts to slow and controlled advances and retreats.

"You are always full of surprises and delights, dear one, but I still didn't hear your response," he growled again.

Snippets of their recent past together came flooding to the forefront of her mind. As Eric embraced her in that special lover's hold, paying special attention to her back, hips and breast, all their firsts flashed through her mind. Their first meeting at Merlotte's, the night of their first 'date' (the ride in the limo), their first kiss after she found out he was vampire, their first night together, her first drink of his blood, their first fuck. Sookie had no more of a chance in preventing her and Eric from being together than keeping opposite ends of magnets from colliding.

She needed someone beside her, someone brave, strong, and understanding. She was helpless without him, as he was without her and in that realization, she found that she did indeed belong to him. Not in the way a pet belongs to an owner, but how a heart belongs to a soul. It was Eric who was embracing her, Eric that was giving her such great pleasure, Eric who protected and gave himself to her, literally. She was his!

"Yes!" she cried out. "Yes! I am yours, oh god, yes," she gasped, her chest tightening at the truth to her words.

Pleasure rippled through him, tightening his leg and abdominal muscles. Even his awarding-winning ass checks clenched as he was overcome by his primitive urge to pound inside of her, to claim her as his. "Mine," he growled, "_mine_." Then without warning, just as she did to him, he sank his fangs into the back of her neck, taking a long, deep drink.

_Gods but this woman is tantalizing_, he thought to himself. He didn't want to stop drinking, but drain her dry of every last mesmerizing drop. Thankfully, the rational side of him won over and he reigned himself in.

"Ahhh!" she yelled out, slipping in and out of awareness as all her senses went into overload. She continued to scream and cry out, unsure if she had reached her release, but not wanting any of it to end. She wished in that moment that they could stay like that forever.

Eric's touch was cool and amazingly gentle, as he launched in his own moment of ecstasy. When they had regained enough of their sanity, he rolled them into a spooning position, while she continued to try to control her breathing.

"Omigod, Eric. I had no idea that sex could be so intense!" she exclaimed, when she had come down from her cloud. "Where did you learn that? Wait…maybe I don't want to know…," she said, second-guessing herself. The last thing she wanted to hear after such an amazing experience was who else had been with her unforgettable lover.

"It's all part of the ancient Indian practice of love-making and living a fulfilled life. Have you never heard of the Kamasutra?" he asked, gliding his hands all over her silky skin, slick with the light sheen of perspiration all humans get after such intense physical activity.

She nodded her head no, along with an uttered, "utt-uhh."

"Well, it's an ancient text that was written for both men and women, to help provide a guide for a healthy marriage, full of both physical and cerebral pleasure techniques. It has been translated into several languages now and sold in everyday bookstores. Some even have vivid, detailed instructions as well as pictures of the most recommended positions for lovemaking. Remind me to get you a copy, lover," he chuckled, kissing the top of her head and holding her tight against him.

Sookie turned red in embarrassment, thinking of a book filled with pictures of people having sex. Her feelings translated loud and clear through the bond, especially with them being so close and just exchanging blood.

"Sex is nothing to be embarrassed about, Sookie. It is quite natural and how most everything reproduces. None of us would be here, if it were not for sex. Anyway, I had not really planned on you reading about that part. I'd rather show you…," he growled.

"I don't know if I'm ready for any more mind-blowing, ancient Indian sex secrets, just yet. I need a few minutes…maybe a shower…," she sighed. "Exactly how many positions are listed in this book, anyway?"

"Well really there are only a couple of positions, but it's the variations of those positions that make it interesting. Some have been given very amusing names. In fact, I'm thinking of one we can use in the shower right now. It's called, 'Climbing the Tree.' I'll give you a hint," he said with a wink, "I'm the tree."

Sookie had a feeling it was going to be a very long, exhausting night before dawn would come and thankfully claim both of them.

When she finally did awake from her slumber the next evening, she felt nearly like she did when she slept in the Fae realm – as if it had been days, or even weeks. She lay still, with her eyes unopened, committing to memory everything that had happened within the last twenty-four hours. She couldn't put her finger on the feeling humming through her, but decided on _joy_. Yes, joy was what she was feeling. Sookie had never imagined how wonderful it could be to awaken in the evening, in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by darkness and wrapped in the arms of someone she loved – who just happened to be a scary, thousand-year old, Viking, Vampire Sheriff. It was such a peaceful feeling, a safe feeling. It made the prospect of the coming obstacles they would undoubtedly face, much less daunting, just knowing Eric would be by her side.

He knew the minute she woke up because he had been laying there watching her since a little before sunset. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, appreciating the feelings her return had invoked in him. She made him feel alive, not just undead. It seemed to him that sometimes his heart would actually start beating again; his emotions were that intense. As he continued to admire her, he detected a surge of joy rush through the bond and a smile spread across her face. He surely hoped it was him she was thinking of – wishing he could spend the rest of his days in her sweet surrender. But, then a wave of melancholy hit him. He didn't have eternity with her, provided he didn't get himself staked by Niall or anyone else for that matter, in the near future.

She was human and she would eventually age and die, unless he could convince her to be turned. Sensing his mood, Sookie opened her eyes and caught him staring down at her.

"What's wrong, Eric?" she asked, gently touching her hand to his cheek.

"Nothing, lover. I was just enjoying watching you sleep, listening to your heart beating its song to me," he replied, bending his head to brush his lips against hers.

"You are sad about something. Is it evening-after regret?" she laughed, trying to make a joke and failing.

"You felt that, huh? This bond thing is annoying sometimes," he replied, cupping her face in his large hand.

"Tell me about it! Now, what has you so down? I was feeling on top of the world until about a minute ago," she demanded, but only out of concern.

"I was just thinking about you and your family…your heritage," he said, not being entirely truthful.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire. You were considering my mortality, weren't you," she said, her heart sinking too.

"Be careful, dear one, or I'll think that you can read _my_ mind as well," he said and something in his tone made her believe his underlying threat.

"You don't have to worry about _that_. I'm just good at making logical conclusions. You were thinking how this is nice but that I'll grow old and die someday. I can tell. It's something I've thought about myself, quite a bit actually. Eric, I don't want to be a vampire – ever. The thought of _having_ to drink blood to survive, of you being my maker and not my love and the thought that you could meet your final death and leave me alone – as a vampire – it's just too much. So, you need to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll never do that. Please?" she pleaded.

"I can't help what I feel, but I agree to that. No matter how much I may want to keep you."

Sookie sighed, thinking back to the conversation she had with Appius. She was nervous to bring all that up now and pop the magical bubble they seemed to be immersed in. "Eric…I have something to tell you. I'm not sure how happy you'll be about it, but it affects you, so you should know."

His arms reflexively tightened a little more around her as he felt her anxiety rise. He arched his eyebrow as if to say 'spill already.'

She took a deep breath and then began, "When I found Ocella, he had quite a bit to say about the bond. I've sort of already told you the gist of it. Apparently, not only could he tell that I was bonded to someone, but obviously, by your connection, he knew it was you. He also explained to me why Niall had him chained down there. It wasn't only to punish him for my great-grandmother's death, but to serve as his personal supply of vampire blood -- the blood that would resolve his mortality issue. Niall has drunk enough of Appius' blood that they are permanently bound. If one dies, so does the other. And, if Niall were close to death, which Appius' would be able to feel through the bond, he could command him through it to continue breathing, living. It's the magic of vampire blood. He claims Niall put us together, to test out this theory further. He claims that you and I have this same connection. We are permanently bound. My aging has slowed to the point where I am actually younger than when we first met, at least physically. And for the most part, as long as you live, so will I – _if _we continue to share blood – according to Niall's confirmation."

Eric was silent for several seconds, just staring into her eyes. He was stunned. So many emotions, thoughts, were zipping through his mind. On the one hand, he was thrilled at the prospect of being able to keep Sookie, warm and vibrant through the ages. On the other, if he were to get himself killed any time soon, she would die too. And, a world without Sookie in it, seemed meaningless to him.

"Did you know about this before?" he asked in an accusing tone.

"Of course not! I didn't know any of you all existed, remember?!" she answered immediately, hurt that he would think such a thing.

"So, Niall just assumed I wouldn't mind attaching myself to his beloved great-granddaughter in exchange for what?" he said more to himself than her.

"He selected you because of your age and your loyalty to him. He claims he couldn't trust anyone else to try this with. The kicker is, his obsession with fairy mortality led him to all of this – to the synthetic blood, to master-minding the vampires coming out, to Bill's database, to us…," she said, trailing off. She was overcome with that feeling again that their connection was just a manufacture of Niall's and that none of this was for real. She began to cry silent tears, their bubble officially busted.

"None of that, now," he ordered, wiping away her tears. "We cannot go back, we cannot change the future we've been given. We are together and that is how it will stay. I am happy, I enjoy being bound like this and so will you someday. I understand your feelings, for I too feel manipulated. But there is nothing to be done about it, other than perhaps to seek out revenge. In the long run though, it will do nothing but give us short-term satisfaction. One thing we vampires do best is spin what we've been dealt with to our advantage. Together we are stronger than on our own. Never forget that. Now, let us get dressed. I have something to show you," he said, pulling her out of bed with him by the hand.

"I don't have anything to wear, other than my dress, which is god knows where," Sookie complained.

"Not so, lover. I had all your things moved here," he said, throwing open a door and flicking on a light that revealed a sizable walk-in closet. One side held all of his things, mostly jeans and t-shirts; on the other side, all of the clothes Sookie had left behind at the high-rise and by the looks, much more. "Pick anything you like. Claudine informed me, after your little girls' day out, that Pam's choice in wardrobe wasn't quite your style. I hadn't gotten around to having someone refresh them before you left, but obviously I found some time since then," he said with a shy smile.

He only let go of her hand long enough to quickly dress himself in his requisite jeans, tee and boots, and to braid his hair. Sookie stood in fascination as she watched his hands expertly weave the blond locks into such an intricate style, without even using a mirror. "Can you show me how to do that?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Sure. But not right now," he replied, swatting her ass. "Get dressed. We have people waiting on us."

"People? Eric, I need a shower if we are going to meet anyone!"

"No. I want you to smell like me, like our sex. You are mine and it needs to be known."

Sookie rolled her eyes. He sounded like a three year-old with his favorite toy. She quickly found everything she needed and wound up with a white tee, faded and fashionably torn blue jeans, topped off with glittery flip-flops and a pale lavender scarf with tiny flowers silk-screened on it. She threw her hair up into a high ponytail and declared herself ready.

"So, where exactly are we going?" she asked Eric as he led her through his new home and out the back door.

"To Bon Temps," he said without further explanation.

Parked in his driveway was a newer red convertible Corvette. "What happened to your '67?" Sookie asked.

"Fucking Fellowship! They blew it up, just like they did to the levees in New Orleans. They didn't like that we made them look like the terrorists they are after that disaster. Because my face was the one plastered all over the publicity spreads, they came after me and my businesses with a vengeance. That's why I bought this house and sold some of my others, as well as the high-rise. I couldn't take the chance that they would do further damage, not just to me, but to my human employees and any innocent bystanders," he explained.

"But, you opened the bar and it is still standing. Why haven't they attacked the bar?" she asked.

"Let's just say, the tables were turned on them somewhat, and they no longer find acts of terrorism part of their repertoire," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Do I want to know what that means?" she asked, cringing.

"No, you don't. I finally have you back. I don't want you running away from me for something that wasn't completely my decision. It was rather a joint effort and sanctioned by the Council."

"I'll never run away from you," she said, "especially if you haven't run from me yet."

On their way to Bon Temps, they talked some more about things that happened after she left, including how all kinds of vampires across the US and Canada came together to assist Louisiana after the floods. The levee system was repaired and rebuilt to be sturdier than before. City blocks and homes that had been destroyed between the flooding and the bombing that leveled the former Queen's headquarters, had either already been rebuilt or were in the process. All-in-all, about 50 vamps, humans and at least one fairy lost their lives between the bombing at Sophie-Anne's and the levees. Felipe de Castro's takeover of the state was startling, but not completely unexpected since both the Queen and Andre had perished. Sookie had learned that prior to the wedding ceremony that never happened, they had signed a rather lengthy contract that had pretty much sealed the deal with them having ownership of each other's state. Nothing could ever be proven with regards to Breandan's and Felipe's relationship. Eric was still worried that Castro might try and use that against Sookie, once he found out she had returned.

The biggest shocker was how he had all the Sheriffs and their immediate retinues murdered after his acquisition of the state. Eric told Sookie how a meeting was called in Alexandria, a city about the size of Shreveport located in the center of the state. Castro demanded that everyone show up. Luckily, both Quinn and Bill warned Eric that they had heard rumors that something bad was going to go down at the meeting, so he conveniently arrived late to the gathering. By the time he got there everyone was dead, aside from Victor and a few of Sophie-Anne's former staff. But, they had already sworn allegiance to Felipe. By some small miracle, the powers that be decided Eric would be spared as long as he swore allegiance as well. To save the lives of all of his retinue, he agreed and walked away fairly unscathed, other than his wounded pride. His hunch was that his connection to Sookie had spared him the same fate as the others, but he didn't share that piece of information with her.

"Why didn't Victor warn you, Eric? Do you think he was in on the whole thing?" Sookie asked, disturbed by the thought that Eric could have been sent to his final death while she was away.

"He claims he didn't know of Felipe's plan until after the order had been given. Victor has always been out for himself. He probably saw the whole thing as an opportunity to gain more power and authority, since he is now overseeing the state while Felipe stays in Nevada."

"So, Victor is like, acting monarch or something? Is he your boss?" she asked. Victor had been very useful in protecting her while under the Queen's roof, but she wasn't sure if he was completely trustworthy and something about him being present at such a massacre was unsettling.

"Felipe is who I swore allegiance to and he is very forward-thinking. I like that. It took quite a bit of time to learn the new structure, for his is a much larger organization and all of the sheriffs are new to the state. Victor is more Felipe's bitch than my boss. But, he is useful for certain things," he answered in a roundabout way.

The conversation brought them to within the Bon Temps town limits. Eric didn't slow down but kept driving. "Eric, you are going to drive right past it, if you don't stop. Where are we going?" she asked surprised.

"Well, actually we are going to Hot Shot. There is a were-panther community out there that we are going to meet," he explained, keeping his face neutral of expression.

Sookie crossed her arms over her chest and 'hrmph'd', knowing full well that Eric was keeping something from her. But, Hot Shot wasn't far and she supposed she'd find out soon enough what the big secret was.

After passing the lumber processing plant, the reupholstering place and the water department, they came to a crossroads, where Eric pointed the 'Vette south. Either side of the road was pitch black, but thanks to a recent drink of Eric's blood, Sookie could tell it was just covered with weeds as tall as her. It was an eerie, unwelcoming feeling to not be able to see past the road. She recalled stories of the people of Hot Shot and she started to get nervous.

"Eric, why are we going to visit weres in Hot Shot? They aren't supposed to be the kindest people, if what I've heard about them is even slightly true," she said.

"Don't be frightened. I'm with you and you are a formidable person all on your own. Were you not the one who killed your great-grandfather's nemesis, when he failed to?" he asked, grabbing her left hand and kissing the back of it in a soothing gesture. "Besides, they know we are coming and, I would daresay, are even a bit excited to meet the infamous telepathic barmaid from Bon Temps. You are a celebrity around these parts!"

Sookie rolled her eyes, but kept her hand in Eric's, for it did indeed placate her. Finally, after coming across another set of crossroads, she began to see civilization, or so it seemed. There were a series of small, clapboard houses, some with lawn chairs and the standard playthings for little kids, scattered out front. Others just seemed like no one even lived there.

Eric pulled up to the nicest house of the lot and immediately got out and was over to her side, opening the door, before she could adjust her eyes to the blackened sky. As she slid out of the car, she noticed how eerily silent the night seemed to be. No dogs, she thought to herself. Every other town like this usually had about twelve dogs running around, barking at the unfamiliar company, but not this town. She shivered a little and Eric put his hand on the small of her back to encourage her to move toward the front door.

Before she could even raise her hand to knock, the heavily wooded door opened and a man in his forties stood there expectantly, with a hint of a smile. He had a trimmed, salt-and-pepper beard and his hairstyle reminded Sookie of someone who was in the military service. He wasn't much taller than her, with a slight build but with muscular arms that he showed off in his sleeveless t-shirt.

He reached out his hand, "I'm Calvin Norris. You must be Sookie Stackhouse. Nice to meet you. Come on in. You too, Vampire," he said, not in an all too friendly manner.

As soon as Sookie touched his hand, she saw what this whole meeting was about….Jason. "Ohmigod! What do you mean you don't know where Jason is?!" she snapped. She had seen in Calvin's mind that he was nervous about telling Eric that Jason hadn't come back with his niece Crystal last night. Both of them were missing and he suspected foul play.

"Explain," Eric demanded. He didn't care who did the talking, but he wanted to know what the fuck was going on.

Calvin spoke first, while Sookie started to tear up a little. She didn't exactly have great fondness for Jason, especially after his involvement with Claudine's death, but he was her brother and only living relative, besides Niall and his subsequent bloodline. "He and Crystal went out to one of the local bars in Monroe last night. They said they'd be home around midnight, but never came back. I went out there this afternoon, during my lunch break and Jason's truck was still in the parking lot. The driver's side door was left open, keys in the ignition and blood was on the ground. I smelled both his and her blood. And something else – fairy. I don't think it was full-blooded though, more like your smell," Calvin said, leaning in to take a sniff of Sookie.

She cringed and leaned back into Eric, who had been standing behind her. "Dermot!" she exclaimed, rage filling her. "What the hell was Jason doing hanging out with a bunch of shifters? Are y'all insane?"

Calvin narrowed his gaze at Sookie for her comment. He had heard she was more than tolerant of other supes and most likely one herself.

Eric began to explain to Sookie, "As punishment for his involvement with the Fellowship, the Council determined that he should become a supe himself. I knew you wouldn't like him to be vampire, so they decided on were. Calvin here owed me a favor and agreed to oversee your brother's punishment."

"And how exactly does one become a were? I thought you had to be born that way," Sookie asked, getting even more pissed by the second.

"You have to be bitten. Several times, over a period of time," Calvin replied. "I made sure he didn't suffer too much, and he actually seems to enjoy it now that he has had a few full moons to adjust. It seems all he needed was to feel like he belonged and he fell right in line. Him and Crystal took a shine to each other and plan on getting married soon, if she can get pregnant by him."

Sookie was seething. "Why would it matter if she got pregnant?"

"Our numbers are dwindling. We have inbred too much and it's affecting our population as shifters. Any outside help we can get is worth the trouble," Calvin answered.

"Sounds like the fairies…," she drifted off into thought. Then, she turned to Eric and gave him a shove. "I can't believe you were in on this! My brother is a bitten were? He shifts into – into what exactly – a panther, at full moon?" she yelled at him.

Eric growled and grabbed her by the arms. "Settle down, Sookie. What's done is done. I am Sheriff and I have responsibilities, order to uphold. He is responsible for your cousin's death – for about fifty other lives that were lost and countless injuries, including yours and mine. He needed to be taught a lesson."

Sookie wriggled free. "Yeah, well by the sound of it, we've got worse problems now. Dermot is my great-uncle and was part of Breandan's team. So, guess what he is probably doing to Jason and Crystal right now? That will be punishment enough, if we can't find them. I need to get in touch with Niall," she sighed, turning to walk out the door.

Both Eric and Calvin followed her outside and watched her walk out to the crossroads. She stood directly in the middle and began to glow, an eerie white light enveloping her as she waved her hands around in a seemingly nonsensical manner.

Niall and Preston had schooled her in many things while she was in the fae realm. One of the first things they taught her was how to summon them and how to interpret natural outcroppings that could serve as portals for them. Even though crossroads weren't natural by design, they held deep significance in the supernatural world.

Within seconds, Niall appeared before her. "Sookie! My child! What are you doing back in the human realm? And why are you…," he paused to look around at his surroundings, spotting the Vampire with a shifter, standing off the to the side of the road, "…here?"

"Dermot has Jason and his girlfriend Crystal. That's Crystal's uncle over there with Eric. Jason has been turned into a were-panther. Long story, but you have to help me try and locate him, Niall. He's all I have left!" Sookie pleaded.

"And what will you give me in return?" he questioned.

Before she could give his request any thought, a series of black Escalades came barreling down the road. Niall grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way, just in time. Eric was instantly by her side and even Calvin Norris came to stand with them.

"Well, well, this is quite a sight. A were, a vampire and a fairy prince all standing together over a human telepath. I must say Sheriff, you do keep the oddest company. Meez Stekhuss, pleasure to see you again," Felipe de Castro bowed his head reverently. "I had been informed you were back in town. It's a shame you didn't notify me immediately, Eric. I had to travel across country and then drive all the way out to this shanty town, just to track you down." His words were laced with meaningful threats.

"How in the hell did you know we were out here?" she asked, stepping forward a little bit. Her protectors seemed to step with her, as if she they were tethered together by some invisible string.

"Eric's beautiful child Pam is quite helpful, when encouraged," he replied, whipping around, his cape billowing out behind him. The third Escalade in the line suddenly had movement around it. The backdoor opened and out stepped Victor Madden with Pam dragged out next. She was gagged and chained in silver. Her hair was matted to her head and covered in crusted blood. She had obviously been beaten.

Instead of bursting into tears at the sight, Sookie began to tremble with rage. She had had enough surprises tonight and it was time to take action. Her energy sizzled and crackled around her and she stepped right up to Felipe and grabbed him by the throat, charring his undead flesh. "I don't have time for your bullshit, King," she hissed. "My brother has been kidnapped by a sadistic fairy and is god knows where. You will release Pam or so help me, you and the rest of your gaggle of cohorts will wish you had died in that bombing. Do I make myself clear?" Her voice echoed out into the empty darkness and everyone stood paralyzed by her shocking display of force.

Felipe waved his hand and Victor began ripping the silver chains off Pam in the cruelest way. Sookie raised her unoccupied hand and shot an electric bolt straight out of her finger, so it seemed, right at Victor and he dropped to the ground, rolling in pain and screaming.

"You. Are. Wasting. My. Time," she said between gritted teeth. "What was your point of coming here?"

"I know where your brother is," Felipe gasped, finding it difficult to speak with Sookie's grasp burning through his flesh. "If you come with me back to Nevada, I will negotiate his release."

"Un-fucking believable! What is it with everyone?! Niall wants to make a deal, you want to make a deal, Eric? Calvin? You want in on the deal making? I am not some game-show contestant. You cannot mess with my life this way! You will get me back my brother within the hour – alive and in one piece. No deals. Any of you! You want something from me, perhaps use of my telepathy? You ask and you ask nicely! You don't make demands and kidnap my brother!" she yelled, pointing her finger at the line of cars. Each of their windows and headlights blew out instantly, as if a great pressure had built inside the vehicles.

Sookie was taking her Gran's advice. Both occasions when she had appeared in her dreams, she had told Sookie to follow her heart. Sookie's heart was telling her that if she didn't put her foot down now, with everyone wanting a piece of her, she would never find solace and fulfillment.

"You will stay here with us. Send Victor in your stead and get my brother back to me. I'm not even going to stoop to your level and threaten you with what will happen, if you don't comply. I'm sick of y'alls vampire shit and it will stop tonight! Now order it to be done!" she demanded and let go of his throat. Felipe looked dazed and a bit confused, almost as if he had been glamoured. He snapped his fingers and Victor stood from the ground, smoke sort of flowing off him, like he had been in a burning building.

"Do as she has requested," Felipe barked.

"Oh! And, why don't you bring Dermot, too. Just for shits and giggles," she suggested. "It would be nice to have a little family reunion, don't you think great-grandfather?" she turned and asked.

Felipe's eyes bugged out of his head and Victor audibly gasped. Neither knew the actual connection between the Prince and the telepath. All had assumed that he just wanted her for the same reasons they did. Castro knew he was in for it now. Victor hopped in one of the SUVs and skidded out of sight, with two others following behind him.

Pam sauntered over to the group surrounding Sookie, knelt in the gravel and said, "Mistress."

Sookie looked around to see if Eric, Calvin, Felipe or Niall had any thoughts on how she should react to such a show of loyalty.

"Oh knock it off and get up Pam. It's not like I haven't saved your ass before," she said in a snark. She knew Pam would appreciate her not making a big scene over the display. Sookie held out her hand and helped Pam stand.

"Calvin, Pam needs blood and fast. I suppose you wouldn't have any TrueBlood around would you?" Sookie asked.

"No, but I would be more than happy to donate some of my own, if that is acceptable." Calvin offered, seeming nervous suddenly around Sookie.

"I'll leave that up to Pam. Now, let's go back and strategize. Oh, and we need to do something with him," she suggested, hooking her thumb over at Felipe who was standing still, in a daze.

"Sookie, did you glamour him?" Eric asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her tentatively into him.

Sookie shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I'm still new at all this fairy power crap. When I lose my temper, I just kind of let it take over. What do you think, Niall?"

"I think you are an amazing creature, and I am proud to call you my great-granddaughter," Niall responded. This one, small, seemingly harmless, mostly human girl had surprised them all, but him the most. From the moment he met her, he knew she was special and had altered his plans in order to secure her for himself. He wanted to mentor her and perhaps have her lead by his side in the fae realm. He had hand-picked Felipe to take over Louisiana, once Sophie-Anne proved her lack of worth, hoping that he was formidable enough to scare Sookie into staying with Niall. He had under-estimated her connection to the Viking, but assumed he could eventually sever their connection. But now, it seemed they were stronger together. She had obviously had his blood recently, for she was positively glowing, outside of her special magic.

"Well, thanks, I guess. Now, will you stop trying to convince me to stay with you in the fae realm? I'd be more than happy to come for scheduled visits, but I have my own life to lead and I want it to be here, with Eric and all the other crazy shit that humans have to put up with, understand?" Sookie said firmly. Then she took Eric's hand and started towards Calvin's house.

When they all gathered inside, Calvin took Pam to his bedroom, where she could feed from him in private. Sookie sat Felipe in a well-worn, Lazy-Boy recliner in the corner, while she curled up in Eric's lap, on the dated, family room couch. Niall sat across from them on a pleather ottoman.

Sookie felt completely relaxed now that her Vampire honey held her safely. "Niall, I would like it, if you would take care of Dermot if and when Victor returns with our party. I just don't want anything to do with killing more fairies. My conscience is burdened enough by my past actions."

"Of course, dear. It will be a much fairer punishment, to be back under his father's control, than anything you could render. Believe me," Niall said with a creepy smile. "And what will you do with Felipe and associates?"

"I was thinking of approaching the Ancient Pythoness. Perhaps if I agree to help her with her cause, she can send out some sort of edict that I am available for hire only and under no circumstances am I to be coerced into any sort of service. This Council seems to have sway with just about everyone, why not make it work for me? I don't mind helping out if the cause is just, but I don't want to leave home or have my life and those I care about to be under constant threat. Besides, it would be a nice way to make some money, build my nest egg for retirement and all that. Isn't that the American dream? Become independently wealthy, retire early and play golf somewhere in the sun until you die a peaceful, happy death?" she said, laughing to herself.

Eric tensed at the mention of her dying. "Oh, don't worry, baby. I don't mean literally. We'll have so much time together, you'll wish I would go golf somewhere in the sun for a hundred years," she said, rubbing her cheek against his cool, unmoving chest, while tightening her arms around him.

"What is your immediate plan for Felipe and Victor? Negotiations with the Pythoness might take some time," Niall pointed out.

"Well, I guess I'll have to practice this glamour thing of mine and make them see that threatening me gets them nowhere. I don't want to kill them, for who knows who would take their place, not to mention the upheaval it would cause in all the states they control," Sookie reasoned. "Besides, I don't want Eric to be king and I don't think he wants that either, do you?" she asked, looking up at his beautiful blue eyes.

He seemed rather tense about everything that had occurred. "Sookie, do you think I want something from you?" he asked, obviously stuck on her little jab earlier when she was taking her stand against the bad vampires.

"No, Eric, I don't. That was my temper getting the best of me. I'm sorry for lumping you in with them," she said, feeling remorseful.

"I cannot do this…" he said, waving his hand back and forth between the two of them, "…if you think I am just out for my own interests. Like I said before, we are stronger together. Together," he emphasized. "And no, I don't want to be king or I would have already been king."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Everyone paused, unprepared for the next course of action. "I guess I'll get it," Sookie said sighing, before hopping off Eric's lap and heading for the door. She peeked through the peephole to see who all was out there. She knew that the vampires needed to be given permission to enter, but Dermot was the wild-card. "Hey, Niall. Why don't you come and stand here, just in case," Sookie suggested.

Niall stood and came to her side. He kissed both her cheeks, in the European fashion and then hugged her tightly. "No need my dear. I will pop on the other side and take care of him from there. Can you see Jason? Is he alright?"

Sookie looked through the lens again. "I'm not sure which one is him, actually. I'm assuming the one who looks beaten up is Jason and the other is Dermot. They look nearly identical. How can that be?"

"Funny thing, genetics is. Fascinating field of study, I say," Niall said cryptically before disappearing with an audible 'pop'.

Sookie waited for another minute, until she heard voices arguing and another 'pop', before opening the door. Eric came and stood beside her, his hands curled into claws, ready to strike if need be. On the count of three, she opened the door and Jason nearly fell in. Sookie grabbed onto him and pulled him into a tight embrace. He cried out from the pressure of her hug, only confirming her suspicions that he had been beaten or tortured.

"Eric, can you take him and lay him on the couch?" Sookie asked.

Calvin and Pam returned at that moment. "Here, let me take him back to the spare bedroom. Any news on Crystal?" he asked, noticing she was not with the others.

Sookie looked at Victor expectantly. Jason sobbed at the sound of her name. It must not have been good.

"The fairies had fun with her first. I'm afraid she didn't make it," Victor confirmed. "Her body is in one of the trucks outside. I thought it would be appropriate to wait and bring her, once you have Jason settled," he said, almost seeming contrite – almost.

Sookie watched Calvin bring Jason back to another part of his house while she contemplated her next move. "What exactly is your role in all of this, Victor? I thought you were a trusted friend," she said with disappointment.

"Vampires first. That's our motto," Victor said with a sly smile. "That and Felipe threatened to send me to my final death if I didn't cooperate. You know us well enough to know we guard our lives jealously, Sookie. Do I regret that it had its ill effects on you? Sure I do, but there is nothing to be done now."

"You could say you were sorry, you spineless son-of-a-bitch!" she snapped and grabbed the sides of his face, searing his skin on contact. "You look into my eyes, Victor Madden. From this moment forward, if someone asks you to do harm to another at the threat of death, you will grow some balls and simply say no, before walking away. No one can make you do anything that deep down inside you don't want to do. Now, you will apologize and mean it! Apologize to Jason for your role in his loss, in his injury; to Calvin for the loss of his niece; to Pam for her injuries and then to me and Eric for being a giant pain in the ass and no good rat-fink. Then you and Felipe will drag your asses back to Vegas, until you can figure out who will manage Louisiana. Because it won't be you, that's for damn sure!" Sookie ordered.

Victor mindlessly walked down the hallway to where Calvin had taken Jason and did as he was told. Pam was giggling uncontrollably. "Sookie, my dear, it will be nothing if not entertaining to have you around permanently. Thank you for saving my ass once again," she said before flashing a very fangy smile. If Sookie were not used to seeing it by now, the sight would have been disarming.

"After Victor says his apologies, will you guys make sure the lot of them are on their way out of here? I need a moment. I need a moment to collect myself and I need one to speak with my brother," Sookie requested.

Eric and Pam both nodded, grinning at each other in silent communication as to how they were going to make sure 'the lot' were given eviction notice.

Sookie wandered down the hallway until she discovered a bathroom and went in to splash some water on her face and center herself. Once again, she had had a traumatic twenty-four hours or so. She sincerely hoped that once she had her chat with the Pythoness, things would settle down. What she wouldn't give for a week of peaceful evenings, alone with her vampire.

Once she heard the voices of Victor, Calvin and Jason subside, she made her way back to the bedroom her brother was occupying. He looked so helpless, laying there covered in blankets. She used her mindspeak to ask Eric to call Dr. Ludwig, the Supe specialist he had used for her in the past.

She sat gingerly on the bed, careful not to stir him. She took his hand in hers and held it gently. "I'm sorry you had to go through this, Jason," she offered. She didn't know what else to say. She was unsure whose fault it truly was. Was it Dermot who involved Felipe and Victor, or was it the other way around?

"It's not your fault, Sookie," he whispered. "They told me that I was a bastard, a freak among freaks and that our family shouldn't be allowed to exist. Did you know that guy was our great-uncle somehow? He looked exactly like me! It was like looking in a mirror. That's why I talked to him at the bar. But, then he followed us out to the truck and others were waiting for me and Crystal. We didn't stand a chance. I suppose this is what I get for gettin' involved with them Fellowship folk. But, they were so cruel…so…" he drifted off, closing his eyes, surely to block out the memories of whatever it was they did to him. Silent tears ran down his face.

Sookie looked up at Calvin. "I'm sending Dr. Ludwig here to check him over, since he's a, well you know, a supe now. She specializes in our kind," Sookie said, laughing to herself that she included herself in the supe world now. She supposed anyone who could glamour vampires and shoot electricity out of her fingers had to be something more than human.

She lightly squeezed Jason's hand to get his attention. "Calvin knows where to find me, if you need anything. For now, just rest and we'll deal with the rest as it comes. You are safe now," she said encouragingly, then stood up up and left.

She walked back to the family room to see Eric sprawled out on the couch in a rather inviting way. "Come on, big fella. Take me home?" she asked, for the second night in a row.

As long as she had Eric by her side, she knew she could face just about anything.

"Anything for you, dear one," he replied, taking her hand and leading her out the door.

As they drove away, headed back to Shreveport, she thought about all the planning and maneuvering that had surrounded her for the last year or so, and at what cost it had all been. She whispered to herself that old Robert Burns poem, " 'The best laid plans of Mice and Men oft go awry, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!' "

Indeed.

-- The End --

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**A/N:** Thank you **all** for reading, reviewing, your adds/alerts and PMs. This has been an exhilarating experience. I'm hoping to have time over the summer to possibly do a sequel or a side story to fill in some of the plot points I may have left fuzzy. If you are interested, add me to your author alerts and keeping fingers crossed, we'll see these guys and each other over the summer months. If you have read this story and have not left a review up to this point, since its the last chap, I ask -- nay -- plead that you do so and let me know what you thought of the overall story and its conclusion. Individual *Viking Hugs* to all of you. Muah!


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